Washington/CMEDIA: A legislation funding the federal government until mid-March was signed by US President Joe Biden on Saturday for the American people especially as families gather to celebrate this holiday season.
First passed by the House of Representatives on Friday evening, the bill was voted down by the Housewith many Republicans voting with Democrats.
The House passed legislation without Trump’s demanded clause and the Senate approved it just past midnight, sending it to the White House.
“This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted. But it rejects the accelerated pathway to a tax cut for billionaires that Republicans sought, and it ensures the government can continue to operate at full capacity,” Biden said, adding: “That’s good news for the American people, especially as families gather to celebrate this holiday season.”
Significant parts of the US federal government had faced shutdown failing a funding plan not legislated by Friday-Saturday midnight.
Following the fiscal year’s ending on Sept 30, a temporary plan was legislated to keep the government funded till Friday-Saturday midnight.
A shutdown would have impacted most of the federal government.
Exceptions included “essential” services such as law enforcement and air traffic controllers and those that are fee-funded, such as visa services of the state department and certain operations of the citizenship and immigration department.
However, essential service workers will not be paid till a spending bill is approved by the Congress, while all other employees will be forced to stay home without pay.
For now, it has been averted with a spending plan that keeps the federal government funded till mid-March, sets aside $100 billion for disaster relief and $10 billion for farms.
