President Joe Biden signed legislation on Dec. 21 to avert a government shutdown just ahead of Christmas, concluding a week of political turmoil in Washington. The White House announced on the morning of Dec. 21 that Biden had signed into law the American Relief Act (H.R. 10545), which funds the government at current levels through March 14, 2025, and provides $100 billion in disaster aid and $10 billion in agricultural aid to farmers. Biden described the agreement as a compromise, noting that neither side achieved everything it desired. “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,” Biden said in a statement….