US Senate passes funding package, averting partial shutdown of federal govt

The Senate on Saturday (Mar 23) passed a government funding package, averting a partial shutdown of the federal government. A report by CNN said the legislation would be next sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law and this is expected later in the day.

Earlier in the day, the federal government entered a partial shutdown after Congress failed to pass legislation in time to keep a swath of departments and agencies open. A report by NBC News said that the shutdown was expected to be brief and have little impact. The partial shutdown comes as Senate leaders said that they have a deal to vote on a funding package.

On Friday, the US House of Representatives voted to pass a $1.2 trillion spending bill funding the departments of State, Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services and Homeland Security, among others.

However, amid demands for amendments, the Senate was unable to reach an agreement to hold a speedy vote ahead of a midnight deadline to fund these departments, the report added.

White House budget office ceases shutdown preparations

A White House official said that the White House budget office has ceased shutdown preparations because there is a high degree of confidence that Congress will imminently pass the relevant appropriations and President Joe Biden will sign the bill on Saturday.

“Because obligations of federal funds are incurred and tracked on a daily basis, agencies will not shut down and may continue their normal operations,” the official added.

Once President Biden signs the package into law, the full government would be funded through the end of September.

Earlier, the White House said that the Senate should quickly pass the $1.2 trillion government funding bill to avert the government shutdown. “To be clear, this bill is a compromise reached by congressional appropriators. So no side got everything it wanted, but it expands access to child care, head start, invest in cancer, research funds, addiction prevention programs and advances American leadership abroad,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre.

“We fought hard for additional resources and were successful in preventing Republicans from severely underfunding DHS (Department of Homeland Security). But it’s not enough. Republicans have blocked our multiple requests in increased border funding and the bipartisan border security agreement. Congress should pass that agreement to give border personnel the policies and funding needed to secure the border. The House must also pass the bipartisan national security supplemental to advance our national security interest,” she added.