US Govt approves bipartisan spending bill

  • 19/12/2015
US President Barack Obama reacts as after signing the $1.1 Trillion Government Funding Bill into Law at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington (Reuters)
US President Barack Obama reacts as after signing the $1.1 Trillion Government Funding Bill into Law at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington (Reuters)

The United States Congress has shown an uncommon note of bipartisan unity and agreed on a tax and spending bill to be sent to US President Barack Obama.

Mr Obama promptly signed the bill, approving the massive 2016 tax and spending package.

The package is a rare compromise, with something for everyone, including parents, teachers, big and small businesses, benefits for 9/11 first responders and cyber security hawks.

"There's some things in there that I don't like, but that's the nature of legislation and compromise, and I think the system worked," says Mr Obama. "It was a good win."

The bill is two-fold, with a US$1.14 trillion spending measure to fund every US government Cabinet agency through September and a $680 billion tax package to extended dozens of breaks across all sectors of the US economy.

The spending bill was approved in a 316-113 vote in the US House of Representatives – seen as a victory for new Speaker Paul Ryan, a Republican. The US Senate then voted 65-33 to send the legislation to Mr Obama for approval.

Mr Ryan received a congratulatory call from Mr Obama, who thanked him for keeping government working through compromise.

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