Biden Signs Stopgap Funding Bill to Prevent Pre-Election Government Shutdown

President Joe Biden signed a bill on Sept. 26 to punt the deadline for government funding to Dec. 20, foreclosing the possibility of a government shutdown ahead of the 2024 election.

“The passage of this bill gives Congress more time to pass full-year funding bills by the end of this year.”

The bill, introduced on Sept. 22, sprinted through both chambers of Congress on Sept. 25.

The House passed the legislation in the early afternoon of Sept. 25 in a 341–82 vote, far exceeding the two-thirds support needed. All 82 opponents of the bill were Republicans.

The Senate took up the measure later the same evening and approved it in a 78–18 vote. The Senate did not consider amendments to the bill, which could have substantially delayed its passage as the House had already left town.

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Following the passage of the legislation, both chambers left town ahead of the anticipated Hurricane Helene.

Aside from punting the funding deadline three months out, the bill, known as a “clean” continuing resolution due to its lack of controversial bill riders, includes $231 million in new funding for the Secret Service. Unlike the previous version, it doesn’t include the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote.

Prior to the bill’s consideration, Johnson expressed regret over the need for the continuing resolution but said Republicans had no choice. He blamed the Senate for failing to work on appropriations.

“We loathe [continuing resolutions] as much as anyone,” the House speaker said. “But this is the situation that the Senate Democrat leadership put us in.”

So far, the House has passed five individual spending bills, but none have been taken up by the upper chamber, which has passed no appropriations.

Biden’s signature on the bill averts the risk of a government shutdown ahead of the 2024 election, an eventuality both parties were anxious to avoid, given the political uncertainty such a move introduces.

In the past, Johnson has faced strong pushback, including a failed attempt to oust him as speaker, for pursuing continuing resolutions that offer no concessions to Republicans. However, the pushback was far less intense for this continuing resolution.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), two outspoken critics of Johnson’s use of continuing resolutions, indicated in comments that they weren’t going to make any statement about another possible effort to oust Johnson.

With the bill’s passage, lawmakers will have three months longer to work on spending legislation, though much of that time will be spent outside Washington on the campaign trail.

Historically, such continuing resolutions have ended in the passage of a “Christmas omnibus,” an all-in-one spending package highly unpopular with Republicans.