President Biden signed a short-term budget bill, helping the US government continue operating while Congress writes a comprehensive budget.
"This bipartisan agreement prevents a government shutdown and gives Congress more time to write a full-year budget. This is good news for the American people. But I want to be clear that this is a temporary solution, not a permanent one," US President Joe Biden said on March 1.
The US government is operating under a budget bill that allows some of the shutdown to last until March 1 and the rest until March 8. The new bill extends both deadlines to March 8 and March 22. The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 320-99 on February 29. The Senate passed it a few hours later by a vote of 77-13.
US President Joe Biden at the White House on March 1. Photo: AFP
The move gives Congress more time to complete comprehensive budget bills that fund the U.S. government through the fiscal year, which begins on October 1 and ends on September 30 of the following year. Bipartisan disagreements on a range of issues are why the country still does not have a comprehensive budget.
Biden said Congress needs to finish its work in the coming days. The US president also called on Republicans in the House of Representatives to vote on the $95 billion National Security Amendment bill, which includes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
The Senate passed the bill with overwhelming bipartisan support. House Speaker Mike Johnson has not brought the bill up for a vote, saying "they will not be forced to act by the Senate."
Many senators and White House officials believe the bill would pass the House if it were voted on. Johnson noted that any international military and humanitarian aid package must include measures to address security at the US border with Mexico.
Nhu Tam (According to Reuters, The Hill )
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