NIH, Opioid Spending Get Big Boost In Spending Bill Senate OK’d In Hopes Of Averting Shutdown
The budget measure also increases spending for Alzheimer’s research to more than $2.3 billion, essentially quadrupling spending levels from four years ago. The measure now goes to the House, where lawmakers are expected to approve it next week, just days ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline to avert a government shutdown.
The Associated Press:
Senate Backs Bill To Avert Shutdown, Boost Military Spending
The Senate on Tuesday approved a wide-ranging, $854 billion bill that funds the military and a host of civilian agencies for the next year and provides a short-term fix to keep the government open through early December. The measure includes $675 billion for the Defense Department and boosts military pay by 2.6 percent, the largest pay raise in nine years. The bill also approves spending for Health and Human Services, Education, Labor and other agencies, including a 5 percent boost for the National Institutes of Health. (9/18)
The Washington Post:
Senate Passes Defense And Health Spending Bill, Tries To Delay Border-Wall Fight To After Midterms
Funding for the Labor, Education and Health and Human Services departments would total $178 billion, a $1 billion increase from 2018 and almost $11 billion more than Trump requested in his budget proposal for 2019. The Trump administration has objected to the increases in domestic budgets Congress is approving, but that is the price Democrats exacted for agreeing to big military spending increases sought by Republicans and Trump. Although Congress again finds itself nearing the end of the fiscal year without completing action on the 12 must-pass spending bills that fund all government agencies, the situation still represents a major improvement over recent years of budget dysfunction. (Werner, 9/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Senate Passes Broad Spending Bill
To combat the opioid epidemic, the bill appropriates $3.8 billion, an increase of $2.7 billion over 2017. Of that, $1.5 billion will go to states for grants. The Senate on Monday passed broad, bipartisan legislation aimed at combating the opioid epidemic through new research, treatment and help for families affected by addiction. (Andrews, 9/18)