President Donald Trump signed the government funding bill into law on Saturday, avoiding a shutdown, in a win for the president and Republicans in Congress.
The White House issued a press release Saturday afternoon announcing Trump signed the bill to fund the government through September 30. Funding technically expired at 12:01 a.m. ET Saturday, meaning, at worst, it temporarily paused half a day.
The continuing resolution (CR), H.R. 1968, passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday by a margin of 217-213, with all Republicans backing it except for Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). One Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden (ME), voted with House Republicans to advance the bill to the Senate.
However, Democrats appeared potentially ready to own a shutdown on Wednesday when Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Republicans did not have the votes for their plan to advance the bill to Trump’s desk. The GOP has 53 seats in the Senate and needed at least 7 Democrats to break with them on a cloture vote to end debate and allow a floor vote on the CR.
Trump put the onus for a potential shutdown on Democrats Thursday afternoon while speaking with reporters in the Oval Office.
“If there’s a shutdown, it’s only because of the Democrats, and they would really be taking away a lot from our country and from the people of our country,” he said.
During a heated closed-door lunch on Thursday, Schumer told his colleagues he would vote to help the GOP break cloture, according to reports.
Trump commended Schumer Friday morning.
“Congratulations to Chuck Schumer for doing the right thing — Took ‘guts’ and courage!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“The big Tax Cuts, L.A. fire fix, Debt Ceiling Bill, and so much more, is coming,” he added. “We should all work together on that very dangerous situation. A non pass would be a Country destroyer, approval will lead us to new heights.”
The Senate voted to end debate on the bill Friday afternoon, 62-38, with nine Democrats and one independent voting with the GOP to bypass the procedural hurdle. The bill then passed on the floor by a 54-46 vote, advancing it to Trump.
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