President Obama signed a two-year budget deal into law Monday, saying the plan that raises spending by at least $80 billion will allow Washington to “plan for the future.”
“By locking in two years of funding, it should finally free us from the cycle of shutdown threats and last-minute fixes,” Mr. Obama said in a brief signing ceremony in the Oval Office. “I think it is a signal of how Washington should work.”
He called it a “budget that reflects our values, that grows our economy, creates jobs, keeps America safe.”
The Senate approved the agreement Friday after the White House negotiated for several weeks with congressional leaders, including former House Speaker John A. Boehner, Ohio Republican who retired from Congress after completing the action that angered many conservatives.
Administration officials said the Treasury Department would have exhausted the last of its borrowing capacity Tuesday and risked default on U.S. obligations within a few days. The deal raises spending caps that had been in effect under the “sequestration” agreement enacted in 2011.
Lawmakers still face a Dec. 11 deadline for appropriating money to thousands of line items in the budget, and Mr. Obama called on Congress to avoid partisan battles over funding on issues such as Planned Parenthood.
“My hope is now that they build on this agreement with spending bills that also invest in America’s priorities without getting sidetracked by a whole bunch of ideological issues that have nothing to do with our budget,” Mr. Obama said. “There’s no better Christmas present for the American people because this will allow the kind of stability and will allow the economy to grow.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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