Congressional leaders reached an agreement delayed Sunday night to fund the government through September, a move that will assist avoid a government shutdown.
The bill includes $12.5 billion in military defense funding, which could grow to $15 billion if the Trump administration submits a plan to fight the Islamic State to Congress. That’s still half the $30 billion President Trump originally requested.
The bill also includes $1.5 billion for border security, but none of that money would go to build a border wall or hire fresh Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The bill also does not block funding for Planned Parenthood or cities that provide shelter to children, which prompted Democratic leaders to threaten a government shutdown.
“This agreement is a good deal for the American people and removes the threat of a government shutdown,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. “The bill ensures taxpayer money will not be used to fund an ineffective border wall, eliminates poison pill provisions, and increases investment in programs the middle class relies on, like medical research, education, and infrastructure.”
Other provisions of the draft spending bill switch on:
The National Institutes of Health, a priority for both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, will receive an additional $2 billion in funding, bringing the total to $34 billion.
The deal protects 99 percent of the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget and increases funding for immaculate energy and science, despite Trump’s calls to cut all three priorities. […]
The package includes $295 million to cover a Medicaid funding shortfall in Puerto Rico, which was one of the outstanding issues in the talks delayed last week.
Trump tweeted on Thursday that “Democrats want to shut down the government if we don’t help Puerto Rico.”It also includes money to permanently extend health benefits for retired miners, a top priority for Democratic senators up for re-election next year, such as Sen.Joe Manchin(West Virginia) andSherrod Brown(Ohio).
$2 billion in disaster relief was provided to California, West Virginia, Louisiana and North Carolina to rebuild after flooding and storm damage, and funding for transportation infrastructure grants was increased.
The House of Representatives and Senate return Monday evening and must pass the bill by 11:59 p.m. on May 5, when the deadline to issue a short-term budget ends.
