Internet slams Joe Biden as he signs $1.2 trillion spending package to avert government shutdown

WASHINGTON, DC: President Biden has signed a $1.2 trillion spending package into law, averting a looming government shutdown. The legislation, which passed through a series of rushed congressional votes with bipartisan support reached the President's desk just after 2 am on Saturday, March 23.

Facing the imminent threat of a government shutdown if not signed before midnight on Friday, the White House released a statement confirming that federal officials at the Office of Management and Budget had ceased shutdown preparations in anticipation of the bill's passage and signing by Biden.

Joe Biden's statement on $1.2 Trillion spending bill

“The bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open, invests in the American people, and strengthens our economy and national security. This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted,” the president said in a statement Saturday.

The bill “rejects extreme cuts from House Republicans and expands access to child care, invests in cancer research, funds mental health and substance use care, advances American leadership abroad, and provides resources to secure the border that my administration successfully fought to include,” Biden said.

“But I want to be clear: Congress’s work isn’t finished. The House must pass the bipartisan national security supplemental to advance our national security interests,” Biden added. “And Congress must pass the bipartisan border security agreement—the toughest and fairest reforms in decades—to ensure we have the policies and funding needed to secure the border.”

The comprehensive 1,012-page legislative package consolidated the remaining six of 12 annual spending bills, ensuring funding for key government sectors through September, the end of the fiscal year. Months of negotiations preceded the bill's passage, including the enactment of four stopgap measures.

Crafted to adhere to the debt and spending deal negotiated last year, the package maintained essentially flat spending on domestic programs.

Lawmakers react to bipartisan deal

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hailed the bipartisan deal as a testament to the nation's perseverance.

“It’s been a very long and difficult day, but we have just reached an agreement to complete the job of funding the government,” Schumer said following the vote. “It is good for the country that we have reached this bipartisan deal. It wasn’t easy, but tonight our persistence has been worth it.”

However, not all lawmakers supported the bill. Hard-right Republicans in the House, including members of the Freedom Caucus, criticized it as "capitulation" and "surrender." Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) labeled the spending bill as a "complete betrayal of all of our values," indicating discontent within certain factions of the GOP.

Despite opposition, the spending measure passed with a 286-to-134 vote in the House, with more than half of Republicans voting against it. The Senate tally was more decisive, with 74 senators voting in favor and 24 against.

Both Democrats and Republicans celebrated victories within the legislation. Republicans highlighted provisions such as funding for additional Border Patrol agents and restrictions on aid to Palestinian agencies. Democrats, on the other hand, secured increased funding for federal childcare, education programs, and medical research initiatives.

President Biden underscored the importance of pending legislation concerning border security and foreign aid, urging Congress to address these critical issues promptly. Notably, a foreign aid package providing arms to Israel and Ukraine faces scrutiny from House Republicans despite bipartisan support in the Senate, the New York Times reported.

Social media reactions

The signing of the $1.2 trillion spending bill sparked backlash on social media platforms, with critics voicing concerns over increased national debt and government spending.

"The Uniparty wins. The country loses," one posted on X.

"This man wants to win so badly, he’s willing to spend up other people’s money like there’s no tomorrow. At all costs. People need to wake up. Joe is in this for Joe, not America," another wrote.

"Did they have to fly the bill to him while he’s resting and relaxing again in Delaware to sign it? More government waste," someone else added.

"So glad we’re spending trillions of dollars we don’t have. Great news!" a comment read.

"It was planned in advance to appear as if they cared. We will be 100 trillion in debt, and the US will be unrecognizable," another chimed in.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.