Congress passes new spending bill to avert government shutdown

The House of Representatives approved a government spending bill with only a few hours left to spare before a crucial midnight deadline that would have shut down the government before Christmas. The Senate followed suit about 40 minutes past midnight.

The House voted 366-34. One member voted present. All 34 “no” votes were Republicans.

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Donald Trump has announced that British television producer Mark Burnett will become a special envoy to the UK.

Burnett is a multi-award winning producer whose credits include popular shows including Survivor, Shark Tank and The Apprentice, where the President-elect first found fame.

“It is my great honor to appoint Mark Burnett as the Special Envoy to the United Kingdom. With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“Mark is known for creating and producing some of the biggest shows in Television History, including “Survivor,” “Shark Tank,” “The Voice” and, most notably, “The Apprentice.” He is the former Chairman of MGM, and has won 13 Emmy Awards!

“Mark will work to enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities, and cultural exchanges. Congratulations Mark!”

As part of the spending bill the Senate passed a resolution to transfer the land including old RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia, meaning that the Washington Commanders may now be able to move back to the nation’s capital.

The D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act passed by voice vote after more than a year of lobbying and support from Rep. James Comer, district Mayor Muriel Bowser, Commanders controlling owner Josh Harris and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Harris, the Washington Commanders managing partner Josh Harris issued a statement Saturday thanking lawmakers for coming “together on a bipartisan basis” to provide the opportunity for the team to consider “all potential future locations.”

Donald Trump announced that the husband of a Florida judge that he appointed during his first term in office will be nominated for a position in the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“I am pleased to announce that Chad Mizelle will serve as Chief of Staff at the Department of Justice, where he will work with our wonderful Attorney General Nominee, Pam Bondi,” he wrote on Truth Social.

“During my First Term, Chad was General Counsel and Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security, where he helped to secure our Border, and stop the flow of illegal drugs and aliens into our Country. Chad is a MAGA warrior, who will help bring accountability, integrity, and Justice back to the DOJ.

“Congratulations to Chad, his wife Kathryn, a GREAT Judge who I appointed, and their children!”

In 2020 Kathryn Kimball Mizelle was apointed by Trump as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. At the age of 33, she was the youngest person chosen by the President-elect for a lifetime judicial appointment.

After signing the spending bill into law, Joe Biden hailed the legislation as “good news for the American people” ahead of the holiday season.

“The bipartisan funding bill I just signed keeps the government open and delivers the urgently needed disaster relief that I requested for recovering communities as well as the funds needed to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge,” he said, in a statement shared by the White House.

“This agreement represents a compromise, which means neither side got everything it wanted. But it rejects the accelerated pathway to a tax cut for billionaires that Republicans sought, and it ensures the government can continue to operate at full capacity.

“That’s good news for the American people, especially as families gather to celebrate this holiday season.”

The American Relief Act, 2025, signed by Joe Biden on Saturday provides “economic assistance to farmers; extends the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018; and extends several expiring authorities,” the White House said.

The bill includes $10 billion in economic aid for farmers, which was one of the key issues in the negotiations, driven by lawmakers from agriculture-focused states.

The Agriculture Improvement Act is a sweeping package that governs many agricultural and nutrition assistance programs. It is is usually renewed every five years, but the most recent version was passed in 2018 and the extension ran out at the end of September.

The spending bill extends the act for a year.