An omnibus package that would authorize $1.17 trillion to fund government operations through Sept. 30 is now headed to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature after the Senate passed the measure Thursday via a 79-18 vote, Bloomberg reported Friday.Laura Litvan and Erik Wasson write the upper chamber’s decision came a day after the House cleared the budget package through a 309-118 vote to prevent a government shutdown.
The omnibus bill proposes $21 billion in additional defense funds and a $1.5 billion spending boost to border security efforts while excluding the White House’s proposed $18 billion budget cuts to health care, environment and other domestic initiatives, according to the report.
The approval of the bill paves the way for lawmakers to tackle the budget package for fiscal 2018 that is set to begin on Oct. 1.
The Trump administration’s fiscal 2018 budget request includes $54 billion in additional funds for the military and $54 billion in domestic spending cuts, the report added.
