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Congress is set to open the door to a gargantuan budget deal - here's what's in it

Bob Bryan   

Congress is set to open the door to a gargantuan budget deal - here's what's in it
Politics3 min read

paul ryan mitch mcconnell chuck schumer nancy pelosi

Evan Vucci/AP Images

  • Senate leaders from both parties agreed to a massive two-year budget deal on Wednesday.
  • The deal would increase funding for federal defense and non-defense programs by $296 billion over the next two years.
  • The legislation also includes changes for Medicare, the tax code, and more.
  • While it appears to have enough support in the Senate, the House may be more dicey.

Congress will vote Thursday on a massive bipartisan budget deal that could increase funding for government programs by hundreds of billions of dollars while averting another government shutdown.

The deal, announced Wednesday by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, would bump spending for both defense and nondefense programs while also fulfilling various policy goals from both sides of the aisle.

The vote on Thursday will not complete the budget process - rather, will set the budgetary caps for the next two years and extend the current level of funding through March 23.

That will give congressional appropriators enough time to hash out the exact details of where the money will go.

With that in mind, here's what's in the legislation that Congress will vote on Thursday:

  • Extends of current federal funding through March 23.
  • Lifts the statutory budget caps for defense and non-defense spending by a combined $296 billion over the next two years.
    • The defense cap would be increased to $629 billion for fiscal year 2018 and $647 billion for fiscal year 2019 - an increase of $165 over the current caps over the two years.
    • The nondefense cap would increased to $579 billion for fiscal year 2018 and $597 billion for fiscal year 2019 - an increase of $131 billion billion over the current caps during the two years.
  • Suspends the debt ceiling until March 1, 2019.
  • Offers $89.3 billion in additional funding for areas hit by natural disasters in 2017.
    • $23.5 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund.
    • $17.39 billion for the US Army Corps of Engineers for projects to prevent future damage.
    • $28 billion for the Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development to help rebuild homes and infrastructure.
    • The rest would go toward funds within the Small Business Administration, the Department of Defense, Veteran's Administration, and other agencies to help repair damages.
  • Extends of certain Medicare provisions, including funding for community health centers, removing a cap on therapy services, funding for rural and Medicare-dependent hospitals, and more.
  • Extends certain tax provisions and edits to some parts of the tax code - including provisions from the recently passed GOP tax law.
  • Adds four years of funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. The previous funding bill signed in January extended CHIP for six years, so funding will now last 10 years.
  • Adds funds for agencies above current levels to mitigate the effects of the short-term funding bill. That includes increased funding for the upcoming 2020 Census, Southeastern Power Administration, the F-35A fighter jet program, and more.

It's seems likely, though not completely clear, that the bill will pass.

Given the support of the Senate leadership, passage is expected in that chamber. But the House may present some problems.

A slew of conservative Republicans have come out against the bill because it increases spending and adds to the federal debt. The House Freedom Caucus, made up of roughly 30 hardline conservative members, officially came out against the bill on Wednesday.

"The House Freedom Caucus opposes the deal to raise spending caps on discretionary spending by nearly $300 billion over two years," the Freedom Caucus said in a statement. "We support funding for our military, but growing the size of government by 13% adds to the swamp instead of draining it. This is not what the American people sent us here to do."

Meanwhile, many House Democrats have expressed reservations that the bill does not include a solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration program, which is set to expire on March 5.

House Speaker Paul Ryan - who supports the plan - said Thursday that he believes there are enough votes to avoid the shutdown.

"I think we will. I feel good," Ryan said when asked if the legislation would pass. "It's, part of it depends on the Democrats. This is a bipartisan bill. It's going to need bipartisan support. We are going to deliver our share of support. I feel very good about Republicans."

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