Biden signs stopgap spending bill to avoid government shutdown before polls

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.

The bill generally funds agencies at current levels through December 20, setting up the prospect of a government shutdown fight just before the holiday season. Lawmakers did agree to add $231 million to bolster the Secret Service after the two assassination attempts against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Money was also added to aid with the presidential transition.

The measure easily passed Congress on Wednesday on a bipartisan basis, 341-82 in the House and 78-18 in the Senate, with Republicans supplying all the no votes in both chambers.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., billed the measure as doing “only what’s absolutely necessary,” a statement directed at members of his own conference concerned about spending levels. Johnson said the only alternative to the continuing resolution at this stage would have been a government shutdown.

The temporary measure was needed because Congress is nowhere close to completing work on the dozen annual appropriations bills that fund much of the federal government. The House has passed five of the 12 bills, mostly along party lines. The Senate has passed zero.