Lawmakers Reach a $1 Trillion Deal to Keep Government Open

Having finally signed off on a deal to keep the government open beyond the shutdown date, Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill approved a $1.07 trillion spending bill that will keep Washington running until at least October. Missing from the bill? Any money to build THE WALL. Also missing from the bill? The active support of conservatives in the House of Representatives, who were quick to criticize the package as yet another round of Washington waste.

“This agreement is a good agreement for the American people, and takes the threat of a government shutdown off the table,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. “The bill ensures taxpayer dollars aren’t used to fund an ineffective border wall, excludes poison pill riders, and increases investments in programs that the middle-class relies on, like medical research, education, and infrastructure.”

While there’s no money in the bill for Trump’s promised border wall, it does allocate $1.5 billion in funds for general border security. It also gives Trump a head start on his budget request for more military funding, setting aside more than $12 billion for that purpose alone. Even still, that’s a far cry from the original $30 billion Trump wanted in his official White House budget proposal. According to Fox News, Trump could see another $3 billion in military funding if and when he presents a plan for defeating ISIS to Congress.

In another aspect of the bill certain to irritate conservatives, the bill hands Planned Parenthood another five months of federal funding.

But this feels like another Republican failure all around. Read it from Fox News:

Republicans had pressed for policy wins with so-called riders related to other abortion-related issues and blocking environmental regulations such as Obama’s sweeping expansion of the Clean Water Act. They also hoped to chuck new financial rules. But Democrats pushed back, rejecting a whopping 160 items they deemed “poison pills,” though House Republicans succeeded in funding another round of private school vouchers for students in Washington, D.C.’s troubled school system.

The measure also taps $68 million to reimburse New York City and other local governments for costs involved in protecting Trump Tower and other properties, a priority of lawmakers such as Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y.

In a recent interview, conservative author Ann Coulter lamented the GOP’s addiction to failure and their tendency to back down at crunch time. “We’ll get ‘em next time around,” they always say, to which Coulter responded, “I want to win NOW!”

Wouldn’t it be nice…