The president of the United States, Joe Biden, signed this Saturday a new budget package of 1.2 trillion dollars after having been approved by Congress early Saturday.
“The law I signed today keeps the government running, strengthens our economy and our national security,” Biden said in a statement.
In turn, he pointed out that the budget package is an example of bipartisan “commitment.” “No side got everything it wanted,” she stressed.
The budget package amounts to 1.2 trillion dollars because it aims to finance during the remainder of the fiscal year, until September 30, departments as important as Defense, to which 886 billion dollars would be allocated, a 3 % more than last year.
The Senate approved the agreement, which was reached by leaders of both parties on Friday night to prevent the Government from running out of funds and entering into what is known in the US as a “shutdown” of the Administration.
The budget maintains the rest of the accounts apart from Defense without major increases, although it includes better provisions for education, child care and the fight against cancer.
In turn, it cuts aid to the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) and reinforces the border with Mexico with more agents and funds for surveillance.
The agreement is the result of intense months-long negotiations between Republican and Democratic leaders.
The 2024 fiscal year began on October 1, 2023, but Democrats and Republicans had not been able to agree on the accounts, so Congress had approved up to four budget extensions to avoid an administrative closure due to lack of funds.
What was approved today completes the budget for the fiscal year after two weeks ago Congress already endorsed 460,000 million that financed approximately 30% of the Government, so the accounts total more than 1.6 trillion dollars. EFE
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