President Joe Biden signs interim budget to prevent partial government shutdown

President Joe Biden signed a short-term spending measure on Friday to keep federal agencies operating. The measure extends funding for one set of agencies through March 8 and another set through March 22, preventing a partial government shutdown that was set to begin on Sunday.

Lawmakers now have more time to pass spending bills for the current fiscal year, ending on Sept. 30. Congress has relied on short-term measures as full-year funding bills were not passed on time.

In a statement, Biden praised the bipartisan agreement for avoiding a shutdown and giving Congress time to work on full-year funding. He emphasized that it is a temporary solution, not a long-term fix.

The House approved the extension with a vote of 320-99, meeting the two-thirds majority needed. Democrats overwhelmingly supported the measure, while Republicans were more divided. The Senate later approved the bill with a vote of 77-13.

Next week, Congress is expected to address a package of six spending bills and send them to the president before March 8. They will then work to fund the rest of the government by the new deadline of March 22.