US government avoids shutdown before Christmas
(VOVWORLD) - US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed a funding bill for the Federal Government until mid-March 2025 to avert a shutdown just days before Christmas, the White House said.
 The White House (Photo: VNA) |
The bill was approved by both Houses before the midnight deadline of December 20. The revised funding bill has some changes compared to the previously rejected bill. It adds 100 billion USD for disaster relief and recovery after Hurricane Milton and Helene, and 10 billion USD for economic aid for farmers. The bill also includes a provision to extend the Farm Bill by one year.
However, the bill does not include a debt ceiling increase, although Republican lawmakers have agreed to raise it to 1.5 trillion USD in exchange for cutting government spending by 2.5 trillion USD over the next 10 years.