This week, Members of Congress compromised on a spending package that will fund the federal government through the remainder of the fiscal year.
Leaders Announce Spending Compromise
On Tuesday, leaders in Congress reached a deal on a $1.1 trillion spending bill that would keep most of the government funded through September 2015—the remainder of the fiscal year. The Department of Homeland Security is the only agency that would receive partial funding in the so-called “cromnibus.” Its funding would expire on February 27th, which would give the new Congress enough time to solidify a legislative response to the President’s recent immigration orders.
Upon filing the deal on Tuesday evening, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (MD), Chair of the Appropriations Committee and a leader in the negotiations, stated: “In today’s era of slam-down politics, we were able to set aside our differences. Working across the aisle and across the dome, we created compromise without capitulation.”
At the time of writing this legislative update, neither chamber had voted to pass the package, but its adoption is expected in the House by Thursday evening and in the Senate before the end of the weekend. Many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have voiced major concerns about the compromise, and its passage is not a guarantee. However, leaders in the House and Senate seem confident that they will have the necessary votes by the time the bill reaches the floor.
TSCL will keep a close eye on the movement of the “cromnibus” in the coming days, and we will urge lawmakers to avoid another government shutdown that would likely affect Social Security and Medicare benefits negatively. For updates, visit the Legislative News section of our website.
