House passes spending deal to avoid shutdown

[nitpicker]

http://thehill.com/policy/finance/331773-house-passes-spending-deal-to-avoid-shutdown

House passes spending deal to avoid shutdown

By Cristina Marcos - 05/03/17 04:21 PM EDT

The House on Wednesday approved a bipartisan spending deal to keep the federal government funded through September and avoid a shutdown at the end of this week.

The $1.1 trillion bill passed with support from both parties in a 309-118 vote. Fifteen Democrats and 103 Republicans voted against it.

It now heads to the Senate, which will have to approve it by Friday, when current funding expires.

Republicans had to make significant concessions to Democrats to get a deal done, despite controlling both chambers of Congress and the White House. The GOP’s hand was forced because of Democrats’ ability to filibuster in the Senate and the expected conservative defections in the House. House Democrats have repeatedly been needed to help pass spending bills since Republicans took over the majority in 2011.

Democrats claimed victory over what the spending bill lacked: funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall promised by President Trump, restrictions on federal grants for so-called “sanctuary cities” that shield immigrants from deportation and steep cuts to domestic programs proposed by the White House. “The omnibus reflects significant progress defeating some dangerous riders,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

The legislation also includes an extension of health benefits for retired coal miners and $1.1 billion in disaster assistance. Funding for Planned Parenthood remains untouched.

Republicans, unable to otherwise advance many conservative policy priorities in the bill, touted the $15 billion increase for defense spending. That’s approximately half of the $30 billion in supplemental military spending requested by the Trump administration earlier this year.
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