Washington:
President Barack Obama on Friday signed a $1.1 trillion spending bill that funds the federal government through the end of September.
Obama put his signature on the 1,582-page measure the day before federal funding was set to run out. The measure calls for less spending than Obama had proposed but more than Republicans sought. However, lawmakers of both parties were determined to avoid a repeat of the political showdown that caused the 16-day government shutdown in October.
"Across the board, our government is going to be operating without, hopefully, too many glitches over the next year," Obama told budget office employees who attended the bill signing at a conference center near the White House. "And not only is that good for all of you and all the dedicated public servants in the federal government but, most importantly, it's good for the American people."
"It means that we can focus our attention where we need to, on growing this economy and making sure that everybody gets a fair shot as long as they try," he said.
The compromise measure passed both houses of Congress this week by overwhelming margins. It funds every agency of the federal government and also scales back automatic across-the-board spending cuts that hit the Pentagon and major domestic programs last year.