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U.S. NEWS Friday 14 September 2018

Congress passes spending deal, bids to avert shutdown

Continued from Front Ryan said the bill includes ergy research. The bill also
money for veterans’ health funds flood-control projects
care, military infrastructure, and addresses regional
Passage was so important the electrical grid and nu- ports and waterways.
to Republican leaders that clear weapons programs, — $4.8 billion for the leg-
they moved up the Senate and “represents a return islative branch, including
vote, citing the threat of to our most basic responsi- Congress and the Capitol
Hurricane Florence bear- bility around here: passing police. The bill omits sev-
ing down on the southeast appropriation bills.” eral partisan policy riders
coast. The House and Sen- While generally upbeat approved by the House,
ate both adjourned for the about the progress on including one that would
week immediately follow- spending legislation, law- have repealed an Obama-
ing the budget votes. makers from both parties era clean water rule and
Approval of the spending are wary of a government another to limit spillovers at
bill marked a departure shutdown, which Trump dams in the Pacific North-
from recent years, when has threatened unless he west to protect salmon. The
Congress routinely ignored gets billions of dollars for bill also eliminates funding House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis., center, talks with House
agency-specific spending the wall. for a long-stalled nuclear Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Calif., left, while House
measures in favor of mas- “We still are in favor of the waste dump at Nevada’s Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks during a news
sive packages that funded wall, we still want to get Yucca Mountain.q conference, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in Washington.
the entire government at funding for the wall, but we Associated Press
once. Trump has said he think the best time to have
would not sign another that discussion is after the
bloated bill. election,” Senate Majority
The three compromise Leader Mitch McConnell
spending plans, if passed told Fox News.
by Congress and signed by McConnell, R-Ky., said
Trump, would account for there’s “zero” chance of a
nearly 90 percent of annu- government shutdown.
al federal spending, includ- Even so, Trump held out the
ing the military and most possibility of a shutdown,
civilian agencies. citing the need to protect
“This package is not per- the nation’s border by fol-
fect, but that is the nature lowing through on his sig-
of compromise,” said Ver- nature campaign promise.
mont Sen. Patrick Leahy, “If it happens, it happens,”
the top Democrat on the Trump said last week. “If it’s
Senate Appropriations about border security, I’m
Committee. willing to do anything.”
Leahy said he was con- With Republicans running
cerned that the bill did not the White House and both
do enough to cover costs chambers of Congress,
associated with a program GOP leaders worry that vot-
that allows veterans to re- ers would blame them for a
ceive government-paid shutdown, worsening the
health care at private fa- party’s prospects for retain-
cilities. ing congressional control
Across the Capitol, Rep. amid an anticipated “blue
Mark Walker said he and wave” for Democrats.
other conservatives were The White House in a state-
disappointed by the ab- ment said Trump looks for-
sence of policy add-ons ward to signing the spend-
that were in a House- ing package, adding that
passed version before it “aligns with many of the
budget negotiations with administration’s priorities.”
the Senate. The three-bill bundle in-
“House Republican priori- cludes:
ties were shut out across — $97.1 billion for the De-
the board,” said Walker, R- partment of Veterans Af-
N.C. He said conservatives fairs and military construc-
expect the next round of tion, including a $1.1 billion
budget talks to reflect their increase to pay for a law
policy priorities. If not, it will Trump signed to give vet-
be “difficult to support this erans more freedom to see
funding,” Walker said. doctors outside the trou-
House Speaker Paul Ryan, bled VA system.
R-Wis., disputed Walker’s — $44.6 billion for energy
characterization. “I think and water programs, in-
we got a great amount of cluding programs to ensure
victories for our members,” nuclear stockpile readiness
Ryan said. and spur innovation in en-