Obama signs $1.1 trillion government spending bill

Reuters
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the taping of the 'Christmas in Washington' television special to benefit Children's National Medical Center in Washington December 14, 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed a $1.1 trillion spending bill passed by Congress last week that lifted the threat of a government shutdown. The legislation funds most government agencies through September 2015. The Department of Homeland Security will be treated differently, getting a funding extension only through Feb. 27, by which time Republicans will control both chambers of Congress. Passage of the 1,603-page bill was a long struggle in the Senate and the House of Representatives marked by bitter disputes over changes to banking regulations and Obama's recent executive order on immigration. (Reporting by Peter Cooney; Editing by Eric Walsh)