Biden signs a continuing resolution, yet a looming shutdown may only be postponed.
At a Glance
- President Biden signed a short-term spending bill to avert an immediate government shutdown.
- The bill ensures another partisan fight in Congress during the lame-duck session in December.
- The House and Senate passed the measure with substantial bipartisan support.
- The bill includes additional funding for the Secret Service following recent threats.
Bipartisan Support Saves the Day, Temporarily
President Joe Biden signed a continuing resolution (CR) on September 26, 2024, preventing an immediate government shutdown. Both chambers of Congress passed the resolution with significant bipartisan support—341 to 82 in the House and 78 to 18 in the Senate. This short-term spending bill extends federal funding through December 20. Biden’s approval comes amidst ongoing disagreements over conservative demands for voter ID laws.
This CR, while offering a brief reprieve, hasn’t solved the underlying budgetary and policy conflicts. Lawmakers will face another contentious debate during December’s lame-duck session. President Biden praised Congress members for allowing more time to negotiate and find common ground, aiming to set spending levels for 2024 and beyond.
President Joe Biden on Thursday signed a temporary government spending bill that keeps agencies operating into December, after Congress punted key spending decisions until after the November election. https://t.co/Ztwpcd3uzq
— 13 Action News (@13abc) September 27, 2024
Defining Priorities and Addressing Immediate Needs
The administration’s primary focus remains on securing consistent funding for national defense, veterans, seniors, children, and disaster recovery. Biden stressed the importance of delivering results that serve the American people’s immediate needs, while keeping the federal government operational during critical periods.
“My administration will work with Congress to ensure these bills deliver for America’s national defense, veterans, seniors, children and working families and address urgent needs for the American people, including communities recovering from disasters,” Biden stated.
This measure includes $230 million in added funding for the Secret Service. This increase follows two thwarted assassination attempts targeting former President Trump, highlighting a dire need for enhanced protective measures.
President Joe Biden has signed a temporary government spending bill that keeps agencies operating into December. https://t.co/Q6hfDaSLMs
— Action News Now (@ActionNewsNow) September 26, 2024
Conservative Concerns and Future Deadlines
Despite the bipartisan cooperation for the CR, Speaker Mike Johnson’s initial attempt to incorporate conservative provisions on voter ID laws saw failure. This exemplifies the larger issue of conservative demands causing delays in long-term budget approvals. Continued partisan disagreement threatens to complicate further negotiations aimed at reaching a more permanent financial agreement.
Speaker Mike Johnson has defended the current approach, stating that the focus remains on passing individual appropriations bills rather than resorting to omnibus packages. Nonetheless, conservatives criticize the temporary spending measures for not addressing significant budget cuts and continuously extending government funding without long-term solutions.
Inclusive but Incomplete
While the CR takes steps to remedy urgent funding needs, it excludes military assistance and aid to key international allies like Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine. This particular issue sparked criticism, with Senate Democrats and many Republicans in favor of including such provisions for foreign aid. Biden called on House Republicans to act on a Senate-approved measure addressing these concerns.
Lawmakers now face the challenge of drafting and passing full-year appropriations as part of a broader bipartisan agreement, ensuring uninterrupted federal services and alignment on both domestic and international priorities.
