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.).
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
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.
-
Romance scammers are taking advantage of Americans
Under the Radar The FBI and tech companies have warned against these scams
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How to see the wonders of Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve
The Week Recommends Adventure is out there, 365 days a year
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Eimear McBride picks her favourite books
The Week Recommends Irish novelist shares works by Christa Wolf, Edna O'Brien and Bram Stoker
By The Week UK Published
-
Senate confirms Gabbard as intelligence chief
Speed Read The controversial former Democratic lawmaker, now Trump loyalist, was sworn in as director of national intelligence
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, Putin plan Ukraine peace talks without Kyiv
Speed Read President Donald Trump spoke by phone to Russian President Vladimir Putin, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not included
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Elon Musk defends DOGE effort from Oval Office
Speed Read President Trump signed an executive order giving DOGE even more power to shape the federal workforce
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judge says White House defying order to spend funds
Speed Read U.S. District Judge John McConnell has ordered the Trump administration to restore federal funding it tried to freeze
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump DOJ orders end to charges against NYC mayor
Speed Read The Justice Department has dropped charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was charged with bribery and fraud
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump team aims to shut consumer finance watchdog
Speed Read The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was established after the 2008 financial crisis to investigate corporate fraud and protect consumers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Federal judges block Trump citizenship order
Speed Read A second judge has blocked the president's order to end citizenship for children born on American soil to parents without legal status
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
DOGE official at Treasury resigns after racist posts
Speed Read Marko Elez's ability to access the Treasury's central government payment system has been rescinded
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published