Congress Passes Full Year Appropriations, Averting Government Shutdown
The House and Senate passed a $1.7 trillion omnibus funding bill for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 2023). The Senate passed the bill Thursday afternoon and the House Friday, averting a government shutdown when funding expired Friday night. Last Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced an agreement on border issues that allowed Senators to advance the bill that day.
The final legislation includes the dozen funding bills covering every federal agency, as well as a range of other riders, including aid for Ukraine, aid for natural disaster victims, bipartisan retirement services legislation (SECURE Act 2.0), a ban on TikTok for government devices (S. 1143), money for pandemic prep, reform of the Electoral Count Act (S.4573) and more.
The omnibus will boost base military and domestic spending. It includes $858 billion in defense spending, a $76 billion increase over the fiscal 2022 level, according to a Senate Appropriations Committee summary. It includes $772.5 billion in nondefense funds, which would be a $42.5 billion increase.
The bill also clears the way for a 4.6 percent pay increase for military and civilian federal employees.
Last minute amendments passed in the Senate include additional protections for pregnant and nursing mothers, healthcare funding for 9/11 responders, and an extension of Trump-era border entry restrictions known as Title 42.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT) said in a statement, “From funding for nutrition programs and housing assistance, to home energy costs and college affordability, our bipartisan, bicameral, omnibus appropriations bill directly invests in providing relief from the burden of inflation on the American people.”
“This is one of the most significant appropriations packages we have done in a long time,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) just before votes were cast on what he called “aggressive investments in American families, workers and national defense”
Meanwhile, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), hailed the boost to defense spending. He said on the Senate floor before the final text was released, that the measure “equips our armed forces with the resources they need while cutting nondefense, nonveteran spending in real dollars.”
The Senate passed the bill in a 68 to 29 vote. This marks the end of their legislative business for this Congress.
The House passed the bill in a 221 to 201 vote, receiving support from nine Republicans, most of whom are retiring from Congress.