The White House will fly the federal budget to St. Croix so President Joe Biden can sign the bill into law before the Dec. 30 deadline to keep the government from shutting down over New Year’s Eve.
The 4,000-page, $1.7 trillion package to fund the government through September 2023 arrived at the White House Wednesday night after completing the legislative process.
It must now make its way to St. Croix, where Biden is spending the holiday week at a luxury mansion owned by a billionaire Democratic donor.
“The White House received the bill from Congress last night, and the President intends to sign it before the government’s funding deadline,” a senior administration official told on Thursday.
The White House will send the 4,000-page, $1.7 trillion omnibus package of government funding to St. Croix for President Joe Biden to sign into law
President Joe Biden, pictured above with Jill Biden and granddaughter Natalie, arrived in St. Croix Tuesday night to spend New Year’s Eve
The White House has not said publicly how or when the bill will arrive for the president to sign.
As of Wednesday, over 2,800 flights had been canceled and nearly 3,200 delayed due to the aftermath of the monster storm that battered much of the United States. Southwest was hardest hit – as of Thursday morning it had canceled 2,357 flights – 58 percent of its daily schedule and 96 percent of all canceled trips in the US today.
Congress passed the massive budget bill last week, but then had to go through a complicated registration process in which the text of the bill was printed on parchment paper, with a certificate page signed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro temp to the Senate.
After this is completed, it will be taken to the White House for the President’s signature. It would have gone to the Office of Personnel, which is responsible for all the papers that the President has to sign.
It’s not the first time a piece of legislation has been commercially flown to the President’s site.
In May, a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine was shipped to South Korea with a staffer on a commercial flight while Biden was in Seoul for meetings with Asian leaders.
The President signed it during his stay abroad.
President Biden has escaped the cold of Washington DC to enjoy a sunny tropical vacation in the US Virgin Islands for free at a luxury three-bedroom mansion owned by a Democratic billionaire.
St. Croix is the largest of the three islands in the US Virgin Islands. St. Thomas and St. John are the other two. The Biden family has a long tradition of visiting St. Croix in the winter.
The president, first lady Jill, daughter Ashley, her husband Howard and grandchildren Natalie and Hunter Jr. reside at the home of billionaire Democrats Bill and Connie Neville in St. Croix, according to the White House.
The Nevilles made their fortune in software and were among 300 people invited to Biden’s Dec. 1 state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Bidens don’t pay rent but stay as “guests” at the home on Solitude Bay, a private community with its own beach. Homes there can sell for around $3 million, according to real estate websites.
President Joe Biden and his family are staying for free at a billionaire Democratic donor’s home on St. Croix – the largest of the US Virgin Islands
The 3 bedroom house offers views of the Caribbean Sea and a private pool
The villa is situated on Solitude Bay which offers access to a private beach
The home is owned by Democratic donors Bill and Connie Neville
A luxury family vacation home on St. Croix can cost as much as $5,000 a night, according to vacation websites.
The home has its own private pool with stunning views of the Caribbean Sea and its brilliant blue waters.
It also has private beach access and is located in the southern part of St. Croix.
Photos show bedrooms with brightly colored paint on the walls. Bright, multicolored carpets lie on the floor. Colorful throw pillows abound. The kitchen, dining and living room are open-plan and offer plenty of time for family conversations and togetherness.
Both the President and First Lady are known for enjoying beach time. The Bidens own a beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware.
Bill and Connie Neville are big donors to Democrats. He made his fortune in the tech industry while working as a freelance designer. Their value is estimated at one billion dollars.
A native of Alabama, the couple made the largest single donation in the history of Auburn University athletics, leading to the basketball arena being named after them.
The Nevilles are also active in the charity circle and have even raised money for an animal welfare group in St Croix.
Bill and Connie Neville are Democratic donors estimated to be worth a billion dollars
Luxury villas on St. Croix can be rented for $5,000 a night, according to vacation websites
The bedrooms are colorfully furnished
The bedroom walls are brightly painted with brightly colored rugs and cushions
The Bidens will stay on St. Croix through New Year’s Eve
The home features a chef’s kitchen and an open seating plan that allows for plenty of family time
The president arrived on Air Force One Tuesday night after a smooth, trouble-free flight while most of the country grapples with travel chaos and widespread power outages following a massive cyclone bombing storm.
The first family will celebrate New Year’s Eve on the island and return to Washington DC on January 2nd.