WASHINGTON ― Six months late and about 17 hours after they first introduced the bill, House lawmakers on Thursday approved a 2,232-page spending bill that will fund the federal government until October and prevent an imminent shutdown. The House passed the bill 256-167, with 144 Republicans and 112 Democrats voting yes, and 91 Republicans and 76 Democrats voting no. Under a previous agreement to lift spending caps, the $1.3 trillion deal increases defense spending by $80 billion and non-defense spending by $63 billion for this fiscal year. The process that produced the spending bill was the exact sort of backroom dealing that Trump railed against in his election. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said he tried to stay up all night to read the bill.

Source: Huffington Post March 22, 2018 17:03 UTC