Biden Signs $1.2 Trillion Funding Bill, Averting Shutdown
President Joe Biden on Saturday signed the $1.2 trillion government funding package approved by the Senate mere hours before, narrowly avoiding a shutdown.
Lawmakers scrambled on Friday and Saturday to keep the government up and running, with funding set to expire Friday night. The Senate approved the bill on Saturday morning, clearing the path to Biden’s desk by midday.
The package keeps the federal government running through Sept. 30 and includes provisions for the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, State and the legislative branch.
It follows months of intense standoffs within the closely divided chambers, whose leaders have constantly argued about issues like border security and aid for Ukraine and Israel.
The new bill cuts all U.S. funding to UNRWA, the chief U.N. agency that provides relief to Palestinians, which came under fire when Israel accused 12 of its 13,000 employees of participating in the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. Several nations initially paused funding but have since resumed, and the U.N. has launched its own internal investigation into the claims.
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