03.12.2021 23:12
Government will keep running until Feb. 18.
US President Joe Biden on Friday signed a short-term funding bill into law averting a government shutdown, the White House announced in a statement.
The bill, which was signed into law hours before the Friday midnight deadline, will keep the US government running until Feb. 18.
It passed the House of Representatives and the Senate floors on Thursday.
The measure provides some time for Democrat lawmakers to raise or suspend the US debt limit before Dec. 15.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has repeatedly warned lawmakers that the US will hit its debt ceiling in mid-December if the debt ceiling is not raised or suspended.
While raising or suspending the debt ceiling does not authorize new government spending, failure to do so will cause the US government to default for the first time in history.
The Democrats will also try to pass Biden's $1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act before the end of the year, which includes $555 billion for clean energy and climate change, and $400 billion for childcare and preschools. -