Here’s what made it into Congress’s big spending and tax bills
Source: Washington Post
By Mike DeBonis and Kelsey Snell December 16 Last updated 9:50 a.m.
The $1.1 trillion spending bill unveiled early Wednesday morning will keep most of the federal government funded through September and its packed with policy instructions, known on Capitol Hill as riders, that will upset or excite Democrats, Republicans and various special interest groups.
Leaders also released a $650 billion tax package that will extend nearly 50 tax breaks for businesses and individuals and stall portions of the Affordable Care Act.
So whats in the bill? Weve sifted through the legislation, consulted supporting documents from Democratic and Republican aides, and called out some of the more notable and controversial elements below. (If you want to review detailed reports on all 12 parts of the spending bill, click here for the Republican summary and here for the Democrat summary.)
INDEX
Oil Exports
Alternative Energy
Obamacare
Refugees
Visa Waivers
9/11 Responders
Puerto Rico
Campaign Finance
Clean Water
Climate Change
Financial Regulations
Guns
Immigration
Cybersecurity
Food Labeling
Sledding
Riders included in 2014 CRomnibus
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/12/16/heres-what-made-it-into-congresss-big-tax-and-spending-bills/
Paul Ryan withheld details of the "Omnibus" Christmas tree for corporate lobbyists until early this morning. Meanwhile, most of the media were focused on bright shiny objects emerging from the CNN Republican "debate" in Las Vegas.
But the Washington Post still managed to get the details of the secret Omnibus deal out to the world--if you know where to look for them.
They provided a PDF link to a Democratic Party summary of the deal , at http://democrats.appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/wysiwyg_uploaded/Summary%20of%20FY16%20Omnibus_0.pdf .
I was glad to see that possibly the worst provision corporate lobbyists wanted--exempting e-cigarettes from a 2007 regulation grandfather clause deadline--did not get included. Neither did interference with FCC net neutrality rules, or prohibition of broadband/wireless rate regulation. Not this time, anyway.
WHAT'S YOUR OPINION?
2naSalit
(86,765 posts)crock of poo. This is the illegal process through which wolves were removed from ESA protections in the Rocky Mountains and hunting them began a couple months later.
I'm so disgusted with our Congress that I am, for the fifth time in my life, investigating my emigration options.
ProgressiveEconomist
(5,818 posts)didn't slip under the radar this time. It frightens me that they almost got away with effectively deregulating e-cigarettes, the new road to nicotine addiction for schoolkids. But I fear that there will be a next time, and eventually the tobacco forces will succeed in ensuring that they continue to make billions on the future deaths of thousands of people a day.
Backwoodsrider
(764 posts)That MJ is not worse than cocaine as it is now classified.
If it goes onto Obama's desk unchanged. Crossing fingers
Backwoodsrider
(764 posts)yallerdawg
(16,104 posts)We blocked the most frightening and egregious Republican policies.
Democrats whine. Republicans whine.
In a democracy, that is about as good as it gets!
If we lose the White House...
ProgressiveEconomist
(5,818 posts)IMO, for making permanent: expansions of the earned income tax credit, the child tax credit, and the $2,500 tax credit for college tuition. All of these benefits for the poor and middle class started out as temporary provisions of President Obamas 2009 economic stimulus package. In addition, deductions for state and local taxes were made permanent, foiling Republican plans for sub-rosa tax increases for blue states.
underpants
(182,868 posts)This is only the beginning
ProgressiveEconomist
(5,818 posts)using 9/11 as an excuse apparently finally has come to an end.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/in-the-loop/wp/2015/02/24/del-eleanor-holmes-norton-let-the-kids-sled/