Government shutdown updates: Biden signs funding bill, averting shutdown

Biden signed the stopgap measure on Saturday.

Last Updated: December 21, 2024, 11:31 AM EST

With a government shutdown narrowly avoided late Friday into Saturday morning, the House and Senate sent a funding bill to President Joe Biden's desk.

An initial bipartisan deal was tanked earlier this week by President-elect Donald Trump and his ally Elon Musk. Then on Thursday night, the House failed to pass a revamped plan that included Trump's explosive demand that the debt limit be extended.

Under the proposal, the 118-page bill contains most of the provisions that were put in place in the bipartisan bill that was agreed to on Wednesday. The bill includes $100 billion for disaster aid, $30 billion for farmers and a one-year extension of the farm bill, provisions that were under heavy debate prior to this week's votes.

Dec 20, 2024, 5:57 PM EST

House passes bill to avert government shutdown

The House of Representatives passed the two-thirds majority to pass the funding bill to avert a federal shutdown tonight. The bill, which funds the government until March, will head to the Senate.

Dec 20, 2024, 5:55 PM EST

Musk endorses funding deal

Billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk posted a statement on X that he supports the current funding deal that is being voted on.

"The Speaker did a good job here, given the circumstances. It went from a bill that weighed pounds to a bill that weighed ounces. Ball should now be in the Dem court," said Musk, who threatened GOP members two days ago.

-ABC News' Claire Brinberg

Dec 20, 2024, 5:54 PM EST

Jeffries signals support for spending deal

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Democrats the White House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer support the new bill coming to the floor and that he does as well, according to members.

While the deal isn’t perfect, Democrats pointed out that it no longer includes the "poison pill" of the debt limit increase, said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill..

"It was a huge win for the American people to remove that," he said, suggesting that enough Democrats will back the deal to approve it tonight and possibly avoid a government shutdown.

-ABC News' Ben Siegel

Dec 20, 2024, 5:46 PM EST

Jeffries evaluating bill, pleased debt limit provision was removed

Prior to the start of voting on the new funding bill, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed approval of the removal of the debt limit provision.

"What needed to come out of the bill has come out of the bill, and now we’ve got to evaluate the four corners of what remains in the legislation," he said.

Pressed by ABC News’ Jay O’Brien if that means Democrats should vote for it, Jeffries waffled.

"That’s what we’re going to discuss," the New York congressman said. "But the reckless effort to remove the ability for the American people to have a real discussion in terms of fiscal responsibility by trying to jam a debt ceiling suspension into the legislation at the eleventh hour was not sustainable."

-ABC News' John Parkinson

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