Joe Biden on Thursday signed the stopgap spending bill in a bid to avoid immediate government shutdown and to keep the US government running till mid-December.
"My Administration will work with Congress to ensure these bills deliver for America’s national defense, veterans, seniors, children, and working families, and address urgent needs for the American people, including communities recovering from disasters," Biden said in a statement.
"And while the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has the resources it currently needs to continue its successful efforts to ensure that the wealthy and large corporations pay the taxes they owe, my Administration will oppose any cuts or restrictions that would increase the deficit by limiting the IRS’s ability to crack down on wealthy tax cheats ," he added.
What is stopgap funding bill?
It is a temporary government funding bill that will keep agencies running until December, as Congress deferred major spending decisions until after the November election.
The bill continues funding for agencies at current levels until December 20, raising the possibility of a government shutdown battle right before the holiday season.
The bill allows spending to maintain current levels for an additional 12 weeks.
The measure was necessary because Congress has yet to finish the 12 annual appropriations bills that finance a large portion of the federal government. The House has passed five of the 12 bills, primarily along party lines, while the Senate has not passed any.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers also approved an additional $231 million to strengthen the Secret Service following two assassination attempts against Donald Trump. Funds were allocated to assist with the presidential transition as well.
"My Administration will work with Congress to ensure these bills deliver for America’s national defense, veterans, seniors, children, and working families, and address urgent needs for the American people, including communities recovering from disasters," Biden said in a statement.
"And while the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has the resources it currently needs to continue its successful efforts to ensure that the wealthy and large corporations pay the taxes they owe, my Administration will oppose any cuts or restrictions that would increase the deficit by limiting the IRS’s ability to crack down on wealthy tax cheats ," he added.
What is stopgap funding bill?
It is a temporary government funding bill that will keep agencies running until December, as Congress deferred major spending decisions until after the November election.
The bill continues funding for agencies at current levels until December 20, raising the possibility of a government shutdown battle right before the holiday season.
The bill allows spending to maintain current levels for an additional 12 weeks.
The measure was necessary because Congress has yet to finish the 12 annual appropriations bills that finance a large portion of the federal government. The House has passed five of the 12 bills, primarily along party lines, while the Senate has not passed any.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers also approved an additional $231 million to strengthen the Secret Service following two assassination attempts against Donald Trump. Funds were allocated to assist with the presidential transition as well.
