US President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, US, March 7, 2024.
Elizabeth Franz | Reuters
President Joe Biden on Saturday signed a $460 billion spending bill, averting a partial government shutdown that was expected to take effect this weekend.
This partial budget agreement covers funding for six major areas of government, which include the military and veterans affairs departments, agriculture, commerce, justice, transportation, housing and urban development, and energy.
The Senate voted 75 to 22 Friday night to approve the package after the House passed it earlier this week.
The agreement marks a step forward in efforts to secure a permanent budget plan for the remainder of the fiscal year, which began Oct. 1. The remaining six appropriations bills, which fund the rest of the government, expire on March 22.
This is the fourth time this fiscal year that Congress has had to pass a short-term spending bill to keep the government funded and prevent a shutdown.
Democrats are pushing to continue to fully fund the Special Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children. They have also won in the form of rental assistance and pay for infrastructure workers such as air traffic controllers and railroad inspectors.
Meanwhile, Republicans also considered the first half of the funding package a victory as they declared victory on veteran gun ownership and cuts to government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
— CNBC’s Rebecca Picciotto contributed reporting.