President Joe Biden on Thursday signed a temporary government spending bill that keeps agencies running in December after Congress held off on major spending decisions until after the November election.
The bill typically funds agencies at current levels through Dec. 20, opening the possibility of fighting a government shutdown just before the holiday season. Lawmakers agreed to add $231 million to strengthen the Secret Service following two assassination attempts against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Funds were also added to assist in the presidential transition.
The bill easily passed Congress on Wednesday on a bipartisan basis, 341-82 in the House and 78-18 in the Senate, with Republicans casting no votes in either chamber.
“Only what’s absolutely necessary,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement directed at members of his own conference concerned about the level of spending. Johnson said the only option for an ongoing solution at this stage would be a government shutdown.
The temporary measure was needed because Congress is not even close to completing work on the dozens of annual appropriations bills that provide much of the money to the federal government. The House has passed five of the 12 bills, mostly along party lines. The Senate passed zero.