Trump signs spending bill to fund government through December

You may not have noticed, but the U.S. government was on the verge of a shutdown Friday.

Funding for several government programs was set to expire Sunday, The Washington Post details. But don't worry, President Trump signed an $855 billion spending package Friday to make sure everything keeps running, at least until Dec. 7.

At first, Trump was adamant the newest federal spending bill include funds for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, per the Post. But as a shutdown loomed, the president relented, telling Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Wednesday that "we'll keep the government open."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Trump made good on his promise Friday, signing the spending package that allocates a $606.5 billion budget for the Pentagon, the Post says. It also sends $178 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services, which Democrats were pushing for, plus provides funding for the Department of Education. The whole bundle needs to be reevaluated by Dec. 7, meaning a revised version of the bill could provide the border wall dollars Trump is hoping for.