President Joe Biden has signed a stopgap funding bill that will keep the government running until March, deferring major financial challenges to President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
The original 1,500-page funding measure faced strong opposition from Trump and his ally Elon Musk earlier this week. Their criticism led to a trimmed-down version that was finalized late Friday and passed in the Senate early Saturday morning.
The bill, which funds the government at current levels until March 14, 2025, also includes $100 billion in hurricane relief and $10 billion in aid for farmers.
“This bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open and delivers the urgently needed disaster relief that I requested for recovering communities as well as the funds needed to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” Biden said in a statement following the signing.
While the agreement prevents a government shutdown as Biden’s presidency comes to an end, it sets the stage for a likely funding battle early in Trump’s term, with potential clashes expected between his administration and GOP fiscal hardliners when Congress reconvenes in January.
