Biden signs temporary spending bill to avoid government shutdown

President Joe Biden signed a temporary spending bill late Thursday to avoid a partial federal government shutdown projected to start this weekend. 

The measure, known as a continuing resolution, assures the government will remain open until after the holidays. 

The measure does not include aid for Ukraine, on which Russia has declared war, and Israel, which has declared war on militant-terror organization Hamas. 

The spending package, which originated in the Republican-led House, keeps government funding at current levels for roughly two more months while a long-term package is negotiated. It also include staggers the deadlines for passing full-year appropriations bills: Jan. 19 for some federal agencies and Feb. 2 for others, according to The Associated Press.