U.S. House clears $180B funding bills to avoid Jan. 30 shutdown

By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday cleared three nearly $180 billion government funding bills that will take a step toward preventing a federal government shutdown at the end of January.

The House passed the bills in a vote of 397-28 on Thursday.

The funding bills outline appropriations for the Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency and several others through Sept. 30.

The proposed appropriations received bipartisan approval in debate on the House floor Thursday. The proposals suggest trimming budgets for federal agencies while also providing increased funding for federal scientific research and law enforcement.

“The power of the purse is once again being exercised by lawmakers through the committee process as Article One intended,” Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.., said on the House floor Thursday.

In debate on the House floor, Democrats boasted of the bill’s proposals to increase funding for federal scientific research. The appropriations bill surpassed White House recommendations for the National Science Foundation by an additional $4.8 billion.

The bill also provides $8.8 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, half of the White House’s recommendation but a decrease of 4% from previously budgeted years.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., praised the bill’s appropriations and warned against funding through stop gap measures and continuing resolutions. She said the appropriations process gives Congress greater control over federal spending and prevents the Trump administration from having as much discretion.

“The more ambiguity we afford them, the more they exploit it,” DeLauro said. “One of the best ways to reign in this reckless administration is by providing precise spending levels for the specific projects that they are bound to carry out by law. That is exactly what this bill does.”

On the other side of the aisle Republican lawmakers highlighted the bill’s proposals to increase grant funding for state and local law enforcement. The bill also provides $63 million to the Drug Enforcement Agency as a means of targeting drug cartels, according to Rep. Harold Rogers, R-Ky.

“This has been a courageous effort,” Rogers said, “to restore regular order to the way we apportion the taxpayer monies that are entrusted to us.”

Rep. Chuck Fleishmann, R-Tenn., praised the bill’s provisions for national security and investments in nuclear power. The bill provides $25.4 billion for the National Nuclear Security administration.

“The bill strengthens our nation’s energy security by advancing American leadership and deploying new nuclear technologies and supporting the administration’s efforts to make full use of for our nation to vast fossil fuel resources,” Fleischmann said. “The bill will reduce reliance on foreign materials and secure full supply chain of critical minerals.”

Several lawmakers highlighted the bill’s funds for increased energy funding toward the U.S. Department of Energy. The bill allotted $63.3 billion for energy and water infrastructure development, a $2.4 billion increase over last year.

“Our bill aims to help address significantly rising energy bills coast to coast for families as well as climate-caused water shortages in the west,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio.

With passage of the funding bill, the House cleared a critical hurdle to averting a government shutdown but it still must pass six appropriations bills to avoid a government shutdown on Jan. 30.

“We haven’t stopped the conversations in order for us to meet that January 30 deadline, and I remain confident that we can meet the deadline and avoid another continuing resolution,” DeLauro said.