The American Senate approved the project in the early hours of Saturday to avoid the interruption of American government services at the beginning of Donald Trump’s new term in 2025.
The approval had a score of 85 votes in favor and 11 against. The project now goes to President Joe Biden for approval, which, according to Reuters, is to ensure that the US government is funded. The deadline to avoid the so-called “shutdown” in the government ended on Friday.
The legislation seeks to extend government funding until March 14, as well as provide $100 billion to states hit by disasters and $10 billion to farmers. However, it would not raise the debt ceiling — a difficult measure that had Trump pushing Congress for approval before he took office on January 20.
A government shutdown would halt everything from law enforcement to national parks and also suspend the salaries of millions of federal employees.
A travel industry trade group warned that a shutdown could cost airlines, hotels and other businesses $1 billion a week, leading to widespread disruptions during the busy Christmas season. Authorities warned that travelers could face long queues at airports.
The package resembled a bipartisan plan that was abandoned earlier this week after an online tirade from Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk, saying the proposal contained too many unrelated provisions.
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Most of those elements were removed from the bill — including a provision limiting investments in China that Democrats said would conflict with Musk’s interests in the Asian country.
“He clearly doesn’t want to answer questions about how much he plans to expand his business in China and how many American technologies he plans to sell,” Democratic Representative Rosa DeLauro said on the House floor.
Musk, the world’s richest person, was tasked by Trump with leading a budget-cutting task force but holds no official position in Washington.
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The bill also left out Trump’s demand for the country’s debt ceiling. The federal government spent about $6.2 trillion last year and has more than $36 trillion in debt. Congress will need to act to authorize new loans by the middle of next year.
With information from Reuters
