Staff Reports
President Joe Biden came through and signed a funding package, ensuring that the government will stay open for business until the new year. This is definitely a win for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is new to the job. The funding package will cover important matters like military construction, veterans affairs, transportation, housing, energy, and other agencies until January 19th. After that, there will be a two-week grace period for the remaining agencies. It’s good to see our President taking care of business.
Before signing the bill, President Biden kept everyone on their toes by not revealing his intentions. When asked about it at the White House, he cleverly said, “Let’s see what’s in it.” Well, he must have liked what he saw because he eventually signed it. However, I can’t help but notice that the bill falls short of Biden’s funding requests for Ukraine, Israel, and additional funding for border security and Taiwan. It seems like he might not be prioritizing the right things. But hey, at least he kept the government funded for a little while longer, so I guess that’s something.
The House passed the bill with overwhelming support from Democrats and about half of the Republicans. It’s always interesting to see who sides with the Democrats, especially when it comes to funding. And in the Senate, there were only 11 brave souls who voted against sending the bill to Biden. I guess the rest wanted to keep the government running smoothly. Good for them.
To make things even more exciting, our President signed the bill in San Francisco while attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Talk about multitasking! He had the bill delivered to him and put his John Hancock on it just before midnight, pacific time. I hope he didn’t forget his pen! Anyway, it’s nice to know that our President can get things done, even when he’s halfway across the country.
After signing the bill, President Biden made a statement, saying, “Last night, I signed a bill preventing a government shutdown. It’s an important step, but we have more to do.” I couldn’t agree more, Mr. President. There is always more to be done. Hopefully, Congress will step up and address our national security and domestic needs. And while they’re at it, maybe the House Republicans can stop wasting time and focus on what really matters. We need bipartisan efforts, not extreme bills. Let’s get to work, folks.
