Senate passes $1.7 trillion government funding bill

Senate passes $1.7 trillion government funding bill

A $1.7 trillion government funding bill was approved by the Senate on Thursday. 68 people voted in favor of the bill and 29 people opposed it.

Thursday, December 22, 2022 at 2:17pm ET:
Senate passed the $1.7T omnibus spending package 68-29, funding the federal government through September 30, 2023 to avert a shutdown. 60 votes were needed. Current funding expires tomorrow at midnight. Bill now heads to the House. pic.twitter.com/ig6uYNETSM
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) December 22, 2022

The bill is 4,155 pages long and will provide $858 billion in defense funding, as well as $772.5 billion for non-defense programs. This is a 5% increase for non-defense spending and an 8% increase for defense programs.

This 4,155 page, $1.7 trillion “omnibus” is one of the worst government funding bills in the history of Congress. (1/7)
— Rep. Mike Johnson (@RepMikeJohnson) December 21, 2022

The legislation allocates around $45 billion in assistance to Ukraine in their war effort. This will include funds for the Pentagon to replenish its stockpiles of weapons that were sent to Ukraine, along with other aid for NATO allies.

The measure provides about $40 billion in funding for states and tribal reservations to aid communities nationwide in recovering from natural disasters.

The 1887 Electoral Count Act will be overhauled as part of this measure. This overhaul will make the vice president’s role in certifying states’ electoral counts completely ceremonial, with no real power to reject any results.

$2.6 billion in the measure are directed towards the January 6th legal efforts, and $11.3 billion is going to the FBI and their efforts to curb “extreme violence” and domestic terrorism.

Included in the bill is also a 4.6% pay raise for military personnel, as well as a 22.4% increase in support for Veteran Administration medical care. $55.7 billion is being directed to combat inflation and support services for veterans and their families. This includes housing assistance.

The funding bill grants $2.5 million towards a “residential security system program” for senators and directs U.S. Capitol police to extend security for former House Speakers for a year after they leave office in certain situations. This is being implemented as Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is set to leave office.

$25 million is being directed towards the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which brings their funding to $299 million. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also granted $576 million, increasing their funding to $10.1 billion.

The Child Care and Development Block Grant will receive $8 billion, which is a 30% increase in funding. It will be directed to offer financial assistance to low-income families for child care.

THE BAN ON TIKTOK FROM GOVERNMENT DEVICES IS INCLUDED IN THE US FUNDING BILL.
— Breaking Market News ⚡️ (@financialjuice) December 22, 2022

This measure will also ban TikTok on federal devices which has been a hot topic recently.

The bill was passed in order to avoid a government shutdown. It will now move to the House where the vote on its final passage is expected to take place as early as Thursday night.