House passes first appropriations bills ahead of shutdown deadline - Washington Examiner

The House passed a $460 billion package of spending bills Wednesday that would keep money flowing to key federal agencies through the remainder of the budget year. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation before a midnight Friday shutdown deadline. Lawmakers are negotiating a second package of six bills, including defense, in an effort to have all federal agencies fully funded before a March 22 deadline. In the end, total discretionary spending set by Congress is expected to come in at about $1.66 trillion for the full entire year. The minibus, which funds the government through the rest of the fiscal year, includes funding for Agriculture; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; Energy and Water; Interior and Environment; and Commerce, Justice, and Science. The remaining six appropriations bills are set to expire on March 22. The proposed bill includes several spending cuts, including a 10% decrease in funding to the Environmental Protection Agency, a 7% decrease in funding to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and a 6% decrease in funding to the FBI.