WASHINGTON, DC — President Joe Biden on Thursday signed the stopgap spending bill into law, averting a shutdown for now and setting up a contentious fight over funding in the new year.
The Senate passed the measure Wednesday by a vote of 87 to 11. Lawmakers are still under pressure to try to negotiate and pass full-year spending bills in just over two months as the stopgap bill creates two new shutdown deadlines in January and February, an unusual two-step approach to funding the government.
Funding will extend for priorities including military construction, veterans’ affairs, transportation, housing and the Energy Department until January 19. Anything not covered by the first step would be funded until February 2. The proposal does not include additional aid for Israel or Ukraine.
Major partisan divisions, including demands from House conservatives for deep spending cuts that Democrats reject as a non-starter, will make that effort fraught and complicated. Newly elected House Speaker Mike Johnson will face another major leadership test as lawmakers navigate that challenge.
Johnson has argued that his plan would prevent Congress from being forced to pass a massive spending bill in December – a scenario that has played out many times before when lawmakers have faced a deadline right before the winter holidays.
But the short-term funding plan sparked backlash from House conservatives who were upset that it did not include deep spending cuts that they have demanded. As a result, the bill required Democratic support to pass the House.
In the end, more House Democrats supported the measure than Republicans –- a warning sign for Johnson.
