What's included in Congress' $1.7 trillion spending bill


Congressional lawmakers have revealed their $1.7 trillion spending bill to avoid a government shutdown ahead of the holidays. The bill includes measures for many of President Biden's economic plans and marks the last major legislative action of this Congress before the new one convenes in the new year.
The "omnibus," as it's called, covers a wide variety of areas, including defense, healthcare, and foreign and domestic aid. It also increases spending from the last fiscal year, reports The New York Times. The bill will need Republican approval to pass, so Democrats agreed to keep some areas of funding the same as before, like education and health, despite these being priorities for the Biden administration.
The bill includes close to $119 billion for veterans' care, a 22 percent increase. It also cuts pandemic-era Medicaid policies and reduces Medicare rates by 2 percent in 2023 and 3.25 percent in 2024 (in contrast to the 4.5 percent cut from January), Politico explains. The move "will have consequences on health care access for older Americans," according to Jack Resneck, president of the American Medical Association.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In terms of defense, the bill provides over $40 billion in aid to Ukraine and another $40 billion in aid for natural disasters around the country. In total, the bill allots $858 billion in military spending and $772 billion for domestic programs.
The Senate and then the House must approve the package by Friday to avoid a government shutdown, The Washington Post reports. Democrats need at least ten Republican senators to sign on to the bill.
"Nobody wants a shutdown, nobody benefits from a shutdown, so I hope nobody will stand in the way of funding the government ASAP," remarked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
How will the new tax deductions on auto loans work?
the explainer Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a tax deduction on auto loan interest — but eligibility for the tax break is limited
-
Is Trump actually going to prosecute Obama for 'treason'?
Today's Big Question Or is this just a distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal?
-
5 best movie sequels of all time
The Week Recommends The second time is only sometimes as good as the first
-
Trump executive order targets homeless
Speed Read It will now be easier for states and cities to remove homeless people from the streets
-
Columbia pays $200M to settle with White House
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the school of failing to protect its Jewish students amid pro-Palestinian protests
-
Florida judge and DOJ make Epstein trouble for Trump
Speed Read The Trump administration's request to release grand jury transcripts from the Epstein investigation was denied
-
Trump attacks Obama as Epstein furor mounts
Speed Read The Trump administration accused the Obama administration of 'treasonous' behavior during the 2016 election
-
Trump administration releases MLK files
Speed Read Newly released documents on the 1968 assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did not hold any new revelations, King historians said
-
Japan's prime minister feels pressure after election losses
Speed Read Shigeru Ishiba has vowed to remain in office
-
President diagnosed with 'chronic venous insufficiency'
Speed Read The vein disorder has given Trump swollen ankles and visible bruising on his hands
-
'Bawdy' Trump letter supercharges Epstein scandal
Speed Read The Wall Street Journal published details of Trump's alleged birthday letter to Epstein