The vote is an important step toward finalizing the 2024 federal budget after months of gridlock in the divided Congress.
Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate approved a spending package shortly before a midnight deadline, averting a partial government shutdown.
On Friday, the House voted 75-22 to approve a $460 billion spending package made up of six bills that will fund agriculture, transportation, housing, energy, veterans and other programs through the end of the fiscal year on March 30. September. in several departments and agencies this weekend if funding is not approved.
The vote was a crucial step in finalizing the 2024 federal budget after months of gridlock in the deeply divided Congress. The bill has been sent to President Joe Biden to sign into law.
In a statement ahead of the bill's passage, the Senate's top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, praised the legislation as an “important step” toward a fully funded government.
“For people who fear that divided government means nothing ever gets done, this bipartisan package says the opposite: It helps parents, veterans, firefighters, farmers, school cafeterias and more,” he added. .
Tonight, the Senate reached an agreement that prevents the closure of the first six funding bills.
We will keep important programs funded for moms and children, for veterans, for the environment, for housing and much more.
—Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) March 9, 2024
The bill easily passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives earlier this week. Action in the Senate was delayed as some conservative Republicans pushed for votes on immigration and other issues.
Congress has yet to agree on a much larger package of spending bills, covering the military, homeland security, health care and other services. Funding for those programs expires March 22.
The package was just passed and the pending bills that make up the annual federal budget would cost $1.66 trillion.
All of these measures were supposed to have become law by Oct. 1, the start of fiscal year 2024. While Congress rarely meets that deadline, this year's debate has been chaotic, as congressional leaders have relied on a series of stopgap bills to keep federal agencies funded for a few more weeks or months as they struggle to reach a deal on full-year spending.
