House passes short-term government spending bill
The House passed a short-term spending bill Thursday afternoon that would fund the government through April 28 and would avert a government shutdown Saturday if the Senate passes it by the deadline.
Lawmakers approved the measure 326-96 and the legislation now heads to the Senate for a vote.
It maintains the same budget cap of $1.07 trillion from fiscal 2016, which ended this past September and it includes a $8 billion boost for the Pentagon’s overseas contingency fund that is used to finance the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The bill also would pave the way for a confirmation vote on president-elect Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary pick, retired Gen. James Mattis, who has not been out of active military duty more than the required seven years. It sets up an expedited process for a waiver to be considered next year.
The measure includes $170 million to address drinking water safety in cities like Flint, Michigan that have dealt with contaminated drinking water. Democrats had been pushing for aid to Flint over the last year.
In response to flooding in places like Louisiana, the legislation also contains $4.1 billion in disaster relief to address damage caused by Hurricane Matthew as well as recent floods, droughts and other severe weather events.
To fund the House-passed 21st Century Cures Act, the bill would provide $872 million to boost medical research, drug approval and efforts to address drug abuse.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, might try to slow down passage. The bill contains health care benefits and pension plans for miners for only four months when Manchin and a few other Democrats want a multi-year extension.
