Republicans and Trump are winning a long-sought budget increase for the Pentagon while Democrats obtain funding for infrastructure, the opioid crisis and a wide swath of domestic programs. The bill would implement last month’s big budget agreement, providing 10 per cent increases for both the Pentagon and domestic agencies when compared with current levels. Coupled with last year’s tax cut measure, it heralds the return of trillion-dollar budget deficits as soon as the budget year starting in October. Most House Republicans voted to kill the funding in a tally last year, however, preferring to see the money spread to a greater number of districts. Schumer’s pet project and we pass that under a Republican-controlled Senate, House and White House?”Schumer has kept a low profile, avoiding stoking a battle with the unpredictable Trump.

Source: National Post March 17, 2018 13:26 UTC