President Joe Biden has signed a $1.2 trillion funding package ensuring the continued operation of the U.S. government until September 30, thereby averting a partial government shutdown.
The White House announced the signing on Saturday, following early-morning approval of the bill by the U.S. Senate. The measure ends a period of partisan gridlock dominated by repeated internal disputes among Republicans over proposed amendments.
As the midnight deadline approached, Senate majority leaders blocked efforts by conservative Republicans to enact major spending cuts and impose new immigration restrictions. Biden praised the passage of the funding package while urging lawmakers to resume support for Ukraine, Israel, and Indo-Pacific allies, which had stalled for months, and to approve measures to strengthen security along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Work Still in Progress
In a statement, Biden said, “I want to be clear: the work of Congress is not finished yet.”
The funding package increases defense appropriations by 3% while keeping overall domestic spending flat. Temporary spending measures had previously funded the federal government for the first six months of the fiscal year.
Although the Senate session lasted until midnight, the White House said it had completed shutdown preparations. A statement emphasized that federal agencies were not impacted by the imminent expiration of funds because “federal funding obligations are tracked and executed daily.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, announcing an end to Republican delays that paved the way for the bill’s Senate passage by 74–24, “It wasn’t easy, but our determination tonight made it worthwhile.”
The House of Representatives approved the bill by 286–134, despite a majority of Republicans voting against it.
