Federal lawmakers made public a massive $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill on Tuesday morning. The release of the bill, which spans 4,155 pages, comes after negotiations between Senate Republicans and House and Senate Democrats. To stave off some government funding running out, lawmakers have until the end of the week to pass the proposed legislation.
Some lawmakers voiced complaints about the turnaround time to read the bill that contains $858 billion in defense spending and $772.5 billion in non-defense discretionary spending. Republican North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop pointed to certain provisions of the bill in a lengthy Twitter thread in the afternoon, calling them “egregious.”
One provision in the bill states that “not less than” $575 million “should be made available for family planning/reproductive health, including in areas where population growth threatens biodiversity or endangered species.”
In another section, the behemoth bill requires $410 million to “remain available” to reimburse Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia and Oman for “enhanced border security.” At least $150 million of that must go to Jordan, according to the bill.
Meanwhile, the bill allocates $1.56 billion to Customs and Border Protection for “border management requirements” and $339.6 million to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for “non-detention border management requirements,” funds that are prohibited from being used to “acquire, maintain, or extend border security technology and capabilities” unless they’re for improving processing.
About $3 million goes toward the Pollinator-Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights-of-Way Program, according to the bill. That program provides grants to state departments of transportation, Native American tribes and federal land management agencies for “activities to benefit pollinators on roadsides and highway rights-of-ways” like planting certain types of flora or implementing certain mowing strategies.
capitol building, raining money concept: istock ( istock / iStock)
Additionally, the bill makes available $65 million “for necessary expenses associated with the restoration of Pacific salmon populations.”
That provision gives the Secretary of Commerce the authority to issue grants of the funds to six states and tribes of the Columbia River and Pacific Coast in connection to projects for threatened, endangered or at-risk salmon and steelhead populations. It also requires minimum 33% matching of funds or in-kind contributions for money given to states for Pacific salmon population restoration projects.
One earmark included in the spending bill asks for $3.6 million for a project called “Michelle Obama Trail – PATH Trail Project” in Georgia.
Source : Fox
