Trump signs government funding bill, avoiding a shutdown

President Donald Trump on Saturday signed legislation funding the government through the end of September, an expected move to avoid a partial government shutdown. 

A White House spokesperson confirmed the news on social media. 

The Senate cleared the legislation on Friday in a 54-46 party line vote, with 10 members of the Senate Democratic caucus helping the bill advance to passage despite opposition from within their party — most vocally from colleagues in the House, who exhorted them to reject the bill out of hand.

US President Donald Trump walks with Elon Musk's son X Æ A-12 before boarding Marine One at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on March 14, 2025. Trump is spending the weekend at his Florida Mar-a-Lago resort. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMI

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What does the funding bill do?  

What we don't know:

The bill largely keeps government funding at levels set during Joe Biden's presidency, though with changes. It trims non-defense spending by about $13 billion from the previous year and increases defense spending by about $6 billion, which are marginal changes when talking about a topline spending level of nearly $1.7 trillion.

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What we don't know:

It’s unclear how the $13 billion in non-defense spending cuts will impact local and state government programs, including Medicaid. 

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Big picture view:

Passage of the funding bill through the House earlier in the week was a victory for Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, who managed to hold Republicans together and muscle the bill to passage without support from Democrats — something they've rarely been able to achieve in the past.

Democrats divided

The backstory:

Senate Democrats argued for days over whether to force a shutdown, livid that Republicans in the House had drafted and passed the spending measure without their input. Democrats said the legislation shortchanges health care, housing and other priorities and gives Trump wide leeway to redirect federal spending even as his administration and the Department of Government Efficiency rapidly dismantle congressionally approved agencies and programs.

In the end, enough of the Democratic senators decided a government shutdown would be even worse than letting the funding bill pass.

What they're saying:

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said a shutdown would have given the Trump administration the ability to deem whole agencies, programs and personnel non-essential, furloughing staff with no promise they would ever be rehired.

"A shutdown will allow DOGE to shift into overdrive," Schumer said. "Donald Trump and Elon Musk would be free to destroy vital government services at a much faster rate."