The BareStory
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a three-bill funding package on Thursday, moving to finance specific federal agencies through the end of the fiscal year and avoid a partial government shutdown before a January 30 deadline. The legislation, often referred to as a "minibus," allocates funds for the Departments of Energy, Commerce, Justice, and the Interior, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and various science and water initiatives.
To overcome objections from conservative lawmakers regarding specific project earmarks, House leadership agreed to split the package into two separate votes. This arrangement allowed members to vote against the Commerce-Justice-Science portion while supporting the other measures. The Commerce-Justice-Science bill passed 375-47, while the remaining legislation was approved 419-6. The measures are now expected to be combined and sent to the Senate for consideration next week.
Negotiators removed a $1 million earmark requested by Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar during the legislative process. The final text also included a 4 percent funding reduction for the EPA, while increasing budgets for the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office and a Commerce Department office.
Congress must still pass six additional appropriations bills to fully fund the government. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole indicated that text for the next package could be released this weekend. According to Senator Susan Collins, the subsequent legislation is expected to cover the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department. However, Representative Mark Amodei noted that a recent shooting in Minneapolis involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent could complicate the passage of Homeland Security funding.
How it may affect me
As a U.S. reader:
• Services provided by the Departments of Energy, Justice, and Interior will continue uninterrupted through the fiscal year, preventing a partial government shutdown in these specific sectors.
• Environmental oversight or operations may face resource constraints following a finalized 4 percent budget reduction for the Environmental Protection Agency included in the passed text.
• Commercial and trade-related administrative functions could expand due to budget increases allocated to the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office and specific Commerce Department offices.
• Certain federal operations remain at risk of funding lapses, as Congress must still pass six additional appropriations bills, including complex legislation for Homeland Security.
