US lawmakers have approved a $US1.1 trillion ($A1.55 trillion) budget bill and President Barack Obama has signed the measure into law in a last-minute move to avoid a shutdown of the US government before congress adjourns for the year.
The Senate passed the bill 65-33, just hours after the lower House of Representatives approved the measure 316-113.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, who took office in late October, praised the chamber for coming together "to ensure our government is open and working for the American people".
Ryan, however, also expressed dissatisfaction with the last-minute formulation of the measure, which sets spending levels through September and lifts a ban on US oil exports.
The Speaker managed to hold together much of the restive Republican caucus, even though the measure failed to include many conservative policy provisions opposed by Obama.
Obama welcomed the budget at his year-end press conference, saying it made him optimistic that he can work with congress next year on "a narrow set of issues," including a Pacific trade deal and criminal justice reform.
He signed the measure shortly before leaving for his Christmas holidays in Hawaii.
The legislation also includes changes agreed in 2010 to the International Monetary Fund's voting weights.
The so-called quota reforms, stalled for years by US congressional inaction, would give China and other emerging economies more power on the IMF's executive board while requiring them to make greater contributions to finance the crisis lender's work.
The House also passed a tax measure that is tied to the budget bill and is expected to be approved in the Senate.
Obama had signed a two-year budget deal into law last month, but this separate measure was required to allocate the funds to keep the government running.
Republicans were not eager to repeat the fight they picked with Democrats in 2013, when a showdown over the budget resulted in a two-week shutdown of government operations.
Share
