Trump signs US budget bill to end government shutdown

The government will remain open for at least another six weeks

President Donald Trump has signed the sweeping budget package. (AP)

President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping budget bill that would increase federal spending by $300bn over the next two years, ending a short government shutdown.

“Just signed Bill,” Mr Trump tweeted. “Our Military will now be stronger than ever before. We love and need our Military and gave them everything — and more. First time this has happened in a long time. Also means JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!”

Both the Senate and House of Representatives were expected to vote on Thursday on the bipartisan budget deal to avert a shutdown altogether. Federal agencies were scheduled to run out of money at midnight unless another spending bill had been approved by Congress and signed by Mr Trump.

But Congress was unable to meet the deadline after libertarian-leaning Senator Rand Paul delayed the vote by ranting on the Senate floor about what he believed to be out-of-control government spending.

“I’m not advocating for shutting down the government. I’m also not advocating for keeping the damn thing open and borrowing a million dollars a minute. This is reckless spending that is out of control,” Mr Paul said on Fox News.

Because of Senate procedural rules, Mr Paul could delay a vote until past 1 am.

The government was closed for a mere five-and-a-half hours.

One Senate Republican aide told Politico that the shutdown was the “stupidest thing to happen to Congress in three weeks”.