Biden signs 45-day spending bill averting government shutdown

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Oct 2023 08:35
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The bipartisan vote was only rejected by nine lawmakers as the United States seeks to avoid a government shutdown.

President Joe Biden signs H.J.Res.100, a bill that aims to avert a freight rail strike, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, in Washington. (AP)

The White House announced Sunday that President Joe Biden signed a temporary spending bill, set only to last 45 days, which had passed by Congress to ensure ongoing government funding until November 17.

"On Saturday, September 30, 2023, the President signed into law: H.R. 5860, which provides fiscal year appropriations to Federal agencies through November 17, 2023, for continuing projects of the Federal Government and extends several expiring authorities," the White House said.

Averting the worst

The bill was passed by Congress just hours before it was signed. The bipartisan vote recorded 88 yeas to nine nays at the Senate. Those who reportedly voted against include Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, Ted Cruz, Bill Hagerty, Mike Lee, Roger Marshall, Rand Paul, Eric Schmitt, and J.D. Vance.

If funding measures had not gone into effect before October 1, federal agencies would have been forced to halt 'nonessential' work and paychecks until the shutdown is lifted, which also goes for the Small Business Administration, which is responsible for processing new business loans for small businesses.

"Tonight, bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate voted to keep the government open, preventing an unnecessary crisis that would have inflicted needless pain on millions of hardworking Americans," Biden said in a statement.

"This is good news for the American people. But I want to be clear: we should never have been in this position in the first place."

Pay raise for lawmakers?

Prior to the bill being signed, Rep. Rosa DeLauro accused House Republicans of attempting to provide themselves with a pay raise during a debate over a stopgap spending bill.

"Here is one that I believe the majority will not mention," DeLauro said. "They amend the Senate bill to give themselves a pay raise. A pay raise. It's there. You can look at me, you can smile but what you did was you amended the Senate bill to give yourselves a pay raise."

The Member Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) automatically takes effect unless it is blocked. The Senate blocked this in their CR. The House GOP CR does not.

News flash: a COLA is a pay increase for Members of Congress. pic.twitter.com/Nov2Wql4zf
— Rosa DeLauro (@rosadelauro) September 30, 2023