The spending bill is expected to pass without too much resistance later this week
WASHINGTON – Over the weekend and early into this morning a bi-partisan group in Congress, the Senate and the White House have come up with a 2017 funding bill. The $1.1 trillion dollar bill will fund the government through September and the vote will take place as early as Wednesday.
Here are the five important take-a-ways from the Congressional bill.
1.) No funding for President Donald Trump’s Boarder Wall with Mexico. However, there will be $1.5 billion for border security in the bill allowing for more boarder agents as well as enhanced security measures.
2.) There will be no de-funding of Planned Parenthood – this was one of two major concessions made to the Democrats in this process. The Democratic leadership in turn supported the GOP request for the border security increase. The Democrats also got Obamacare payments in this deal along with their support on more defense spending.
3.) Defense spending was set at $15 billion which is half of what the Trump admiration had asked for in their budget. The conservative Republicans felt that the Trump admiration’s request for $30 billion was too excessive.
4.)There will be money to permanently extend health benefits for retired miners, a top priority of President Trumps as well as Senate Democrats Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio). Both are facing re-election in 2018 in states where coal mining is a big deal.
5.) Congress would also allocate $8.1 billion in emergency and disaster relief funding and aid. The money will help California, West Virginia, Louisiana and North Carolina who have been hard hit by wildfires, rains and tornadoes.
The new spending bill drew praise from both sides of the political spectrum.
“This agreement is a good agreement for the American people, and takes the threat of a government shutdown off the table. The bill ensures taxpayer dollars aren’t used to fund an ineffective border wall, excludes poison pill riders, and increases investments in programs that the middle-class relies on, like medical research, education, and infrastructure,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.)
Meanwhile, from the GOP side of the isle came this response.
House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.) said it is “the result of over a year’s worth of careful and dedicated efforts to closely examine federal programs to make the best possible use of every tax dollar.”
Video from CNN