The White House on Monday signaled that President Barack Obama will sign the omnibus spending bill. The Senate cleared the measure Sunday after the House had passed it on Thursday.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs acknowledged that the bill, which raises spending levels and maintains a heavy load of earmarks, is “not perfect.— But he maintained that Obama wants to keep the government running.

“One of the goals obviously is to keep the government running right now,— Gibbs said. “The number of earmarks is down. It’s not perfect. The president will continue to try to make progress on those issues.—

Gibbs added that Obama “would like to see Congress get to the point where we’re doing appropriations bills and not omnibus bills.—