Congress approved a stopgap spending bill to keep the government running temporarily, avoiding a shutdown.

Washington: So, Congress just pulled off a last-minute save to keep the government running. They passed a stopgap spending bill early Saturday, which means no shutdown for now. It was a wild 48 hours, giving us a sneak peek of what might come in Trump’s next term.
This new spending package is the third version they’ve churned out this week. It buys lawmakers some time until mid-March to hammer out a full-year budget. Plus, it throws in about $100 billion for disaster relief, which is pretty crucial.
Even though the Senate passed it after the deadline, the White House reassured everyone that agencies would keep on working as usual. The House voted overwhelmingly in favor, and President Biden signed it bright and early Saturday.
Interestingly, the bill didn’t touch on the debt limit, which Trump wanted to address. That’s something Congress will have to tackle next year when they have full control again.
The bill also extends some farm programs and gives Congress more time to negotiate, even though they’re already behind schedule. And guess what? Lawmakers will still get their first pay raise in years, bumping their salaries up a bit.
While the bill didn’t include a provision for year-round E15 gasoline sales, Biden still backed it. His press secretary highlighted that it includes disaster relief and keeps essential government services running for folks who rely on them.
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole made a strong case for the bill, saying it was crucial to avoid a shutdown and support disaster victims. On the flip side, some Democrats were not thrilled, feeling like the original bipartisan deal got tossed aside.
Trump and Musk had their objections, pushing for changes that didn’t make it into the final bill. House Republicans tried to pass their own version earlier but fell short. Speaker Mike Johnson insisted they were united and would avoid a shutdown.
Had they not reached an agreement, we would have faced a partial government shutdown just as the holidays rolled in. That would have meant no paychecks for federal workers, including military personnel, until things got sorted out.
Trump even took to social media, saying if there was going to be a shutdown, it should happen now, not later. He’s been vocal about wanting to extend the debt ceiling, too, insisting that Congress needs to act on that front.