Biden signs Republican government funding bill to avoid shutdown

President Joe Biden signed House Speaker Mike Johnson’s two-step continuing resolution on Thursday, averting a potential government shutdown.

Johnson’s continuous resolution (CR) extends most federal funding through February 2, plus several other appropriations bills through January 19. The CR was approved by the House of Representatives on Tuesday by a vote of 336-95 and the Senate on Wednesday by a vote of 87-11. vote before heading to Biden’s desk.

Biden signed the bill on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit during a dinner at the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco, California.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference on November 14, 2023 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. The House is working on a Continuing Resolution introduced by Johnson to avoid a government shutdown on November 17. (Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)

Johnson’s temporary spending bill has bipartisan support, although some Republicans did not support the package because it does not include any spending cuts. In the House, the majority of votes against the package were Republicans; he received 209 Democratic votes.

The spending bill does not include any aid for Israel or Ukraine, a key request of Biden and other Senate leaders. (RELATED: Biden announces request for Congress to link Ukraine funding to Israel)

.@SpeakerJohnson (R-LA) outlined their strategy for passing a two-step continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown this Friday. When asked if he was worried about retaining his position in light of the Conservative opposition, he replied: “I’m not worried about that at all.” pic.twitter.com/z0yukppquO

-CSPAN (@cspan) November 14, 2023

“This two-step continuing resolution is a necessary bill to put House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories,” Johnson said. saying in a previous statement. “The bill will end the absurd holiday season-wide tradition of massive, loaded spending bills introduced just before the Christmas recess. Separating the Czech Republic from debates over supplemental funding puts our conference in the best position to fight for fiscal responsibility, oversight of aid to Ukraine, and meaningful policy changes on our southern border.”