President Joe Biden signed a government funding bill that averted a shutdown crisis after Congress passed the bill. The package funds the government at current levels through March 14 and includes $100 billion in disaster aid and a one-year farm bill. It did not include a debt limit extension demanded by President-elect Donald Trump. Biden called it a compromise that ensures the government can continue to operate at full capacity. Both the Senate and the House passed the bill, with strong bipartisan support. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that while the bill did not include everything they sought, it included important provisions like disaster relief and avoiding a tax cut for billionaires.
The bill was signed after a chaotic few days that began with Trump and Elon Musk opposing the initial bipartisan deal, which ultimately fell apart. Trump urged Republicans to extend or abolish the debt ceiling, but this request did not make it into the final bill. After the initial deal fell apart, the House failed to pass a new funding bill. Jean-Pierre accused Republicans of doing the bidding of their billionaire benefactors. The bill was finally passed with the support of both Republicans and Democrats after a period of turmoil and disagreement.
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