President Biden on Friday signaled he would sign into law Congress’ $1.7 trillion spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown and fund federal agencies through September, praising the measure as a shining example of bipartisanship on Capitol Hill.
The House passed the sprawling package mostly along party lines, 225-201, as lawmakers scrambled to tie up loose ends before leaving Washington for the holiday recess. The Senate approved the measure 68-29 on Thursday.
“This bill is further proof that Republicans and Democrats can come together to deliver for the American people, and I’m looking forward to continued bipartisan progress in the year ahead,” Mr. Biden said.
The passage marks House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s final act as leader of the chamber’s Democrats before Republicans take control next month.
The more than 4,000-page bill contains 12 appropriations bills for federal agencies and provides roughly $45 billion in aid to Ukraine amid the 10-month-old Russian invasion.
The package increases spending for domestic initiatives by about 6%, totaling $772.5 billion. Defense spending will increase by about 10% to $858 billion.
“This bill is good for our economy, our competitiveness and our communities,” Mr. Biden said.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported the timing of the president signing the bill. The president signed a stopgap spending bill on Friday and planned to later sign the yearlong spending bill.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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