Political and Legislative
The House Passes a Major Spending Bill
The House on Thursday passed a sprawling appropriations package to fund the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Veterans Affairs and other agencies and set a marker in negotiations to avoid a government shutdown when current funding expires this fall.
The package, which includes seven of the 12 annual appropriations bills to fund the government for the new fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, passed the lower chamber 219-208 along party lines.
Thursday’s vote follows the passage of two separate spending bills by the House the day before that would boost funding for the Capitol Police and other legislative branch operations and provide funding for the State Department.
