Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdown

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) beside a Christmas tree

(Image credit: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images)

published 18 December 2024

What happened

Congressional leaders on Tuesday unveiled a bipartisan stopgap spending bill that would fund the government through March 14, averting a partial government shutdown starting at midnight on Friday. The legislation includes $100.4 billion in hurricane and disaster relief, $10 billion in direct economic assistance to farmers and an "array of unrelated policy measures on health, energy, digital privacy and other matters," The New York Times said.

The package "ignited a firestorm among some Republicans, who complained about its 'Christmas tree' nature," The Wall Street Journal said. Conservative anger over the "dreaded end-of-year 'Christmas tree,' decorated with lawmakers' pet projects," could still "endanger any agreement" and "imperil" Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) bid to retain his gavel in the narrowly divided House, The Washington Post said.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.