The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 () is a United States omnibus spending bill for the United States federal government for fiscal year 2018 enacted by the 115th United States Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 23, 2018.
Legislative history On the evening of March 21, 2018, the text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018"Rules Committee Print 115–66: Text of the House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1625 (Showing the text of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018)". U.S. House of Representatives. March 21, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018. was released. The text was posted to the web site of the United States House Committee on Rules at 10:00p.m.Wolfensberger, Don (April 2, 2018). "House majority rules spark minority fights". The Hill. H.R. 1625, formerly the TARGET act, was used as a legislative vehicle for the appropriations bill."H.R.1625 – 115th Congress". U.S. Congress. March 22, 2018. Retrieved March 23, 2018. At 10:15p.m., the committee's Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said he did not have a printout of the bill to consider. The Committee voted 8–3 to allow one hour of debate on the full bill and to disallow all points of order against the motion to add the more than 2,000 pages to the bill. The rule was filed at 1:20a.m. The one hour of debate began at 9:15a.m. Afterwards, James McGovern (D-Massachusetts) advocated to amend the bill further in order to be able to add text to adjust the status of unauthorized immigrants who entered the U.S. as children. The House voted 233–186 to disallow adding any text to the bill other than the more than 2,000 pages proposed the night before.
Approximately 17 hours after the 2,232-page bill was released, the House of Representatives passed the bill 256–167 on March 22.Werner, Erica; DeBonis, Mike (March 22, 2018). "House approves jam-packed $1.3 trillion spending bill". The Washington Post. . Retrieved March 23, 2018. That morning, Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said, "Is the president going to sign the bill? Yes. Why? Because it funds his priorities."Schor, Elana; Everett, Burgess; Bade, Rachael; Nussbaum, Matthew (March 23, 2018). "Trump talked out of shoving government into a shutdown". Politico. The Senate passed the bill 65–32 after midnight on March 23.Carney, Jordan (March 23, 2018). "Senate approves $1.3 trillion spending bill, sending to Trump". The Hill.
The morning of March 23, President Donald Trump said he might veto the bill because it would not fully fund a planned wall along the Mexico–United States border and would not address the individuals who entered the United States as children and are present in the United States without legal status.Wagner, John; DeBonis, Mike (March 23, 2018). "After earlier veto threat, Trump signs $1.3 trillion spending bill". The Washington Post. Portland Press-Herald. President Trump signed the bill later in the day.Sommerfeldt, Chris (March 23, 2018). "President Trump reluctantly signs $1.3 trillion spending bill hours after threatening veto". New York Daily News.
Provisions
General appropriations The bill funds the federal government through September 30, 2018.Johnson, Ted (March 23, 2018). "Arts Funding Gets a Boost in Omnibus Spending Bill". Variety. The bill includes large increases to both defense and non-defense spending, following the budget-cap increases that had been included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 . The bill bans federal funds going to ACORN, an organization that dissolved in 2010, along with "any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, allied organizations, or successors." Federal funding cannot be used to move employees from the National Finance Center, which provides payroll and human-resources services to federal agencies.
Arts and humanities The bill increases the budget of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities by $3 million.
Commerce The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration budget is increased by $234 million, including $20 million for disaster assistance to fisheries and $65 million for the salmon recovery program along the Pacific coast. The Food and Drug Administration must act against foods that are labeled as milk, cheese, or yogurt but are not made from a product of a dairy animal."Omnibus bill language a victory for milk labeling standards". National Milk Producers Federation. Wisconsin State Farmer. March 27, 2018.
Congress Reports prepared by the Congressional Research Service must be made easily available to the public.Mullin, Joe (April 2, 2018). "Congress Will Finally Make Its Research Reports Public". Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Department of Agriculture Agricultural businesses are exempted from reporting emissions from manure under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act. The bill prevents the closure of the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station, an agricultural experiment station that increases efficiency in sheep production and improve the sustainability of rangeland ecosystems.Dumas, Carol Ryan (March 26, 2018). "Omnibus bill includes manure reporting exemption". Capital Press. The bill delays the implementation of regulations requiring trucks that carry livestock to install electronic devices to monitor time spent driving.Dreiling, Larry (March 31, 2018). "Omnibus bill includes 199A fix, ELD delay and more ". High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal (Dodge City, Kansas). The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act is extended to September 30, 2018. The Pesticide Registration Improvement Act created a registration service fee system for applications for specific pesticide registration, amended registration, and associated actions."About Pesticide Registration Fees under PRIA". United States Environmental Protection Agency. November 8, 2017. The foreign catfish inspection program received a $5.5 million increase. Equivalence determinations must be completed within 180 days for each country that wants to continue exporting catfish to the United States. Imports of catfish are prohibited until a final rule of equivalence is issued if the deadline is not met.Myers, Debbie Burt (March 28, 2018). "Omnibus appropriations bill delivers for Neshoba General ". The Neshoba Democrat (Neshoba County, Mississippi).
Department of Defense The bill increased the budget of the Department of Defense by $61 billion. Military employees will receive an increase in pay of 2.4 percent.Zanona, Melanie (March 23, 2018). "Winners and losers from the $1.3T omnibus". The Hill. The bill added funding for approximately 17,000 more active duty troops and 10,000 more reserve troops in 2018.Maucione, Scott (March 22, 2018). "DoD gets nearly $655 billion and some flexibility on funding in omnibus bill". Federal News Radio. The bill included $34.4 billion for defense health and family programs, $359 million for cancer research, $125 million for research of traumatic brain injury and mental health, and $287 million for prevention of sexual assault and responses to sexual assault. The Department of Defense is now prohibited from spending more than 25 percent of its budget during the last two months of the fiscal year. Previously, the Department of Defense was limited to 20 percent. The Department of Defense is now allowed to reallocate to $20 million of its budget without notifying Congress. Previously, the threshold was $15 million. The United States Army Corps of Engineers' budget was increased by $789 million.Cahlink, George; Koss, Geof; Lunney, Kellie (March 22, 2018). "Omnibus rejects big EPA cuts, hikes Energy and Interior funds". E&E News. Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC.
Department of Energy The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy received an increase of $47 million. The Trump Administration had wanted to eliminate it. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy received an increase of $200 million. The Trump Administration had proposed to eliminate it. The Office of Science received an increase of $863 million.
Department of Health and Human Services The Child Care Development Block Grant, which provide child-care services for low-income family members who work, receive employment training, attend school, or whose children receive or need to receive protective services, was increased by $2.3 billion."Hellmann, Jessie (March 21, 2018). "Spending bill would double child care funding for low-income families". The Hill."Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)". U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved April 2, 2018. Head Start, which provides comprehensive early-childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent-involvement services to low-income children and their families, received an increase of $610 million.
Department of the Interior The National Park Service received an increase of $138 million, intended to help its maintenance backlog. The Bureau of Land Management's budget was increased by $79 million. Of that increase, $50 million is for improving the maintenance backlog on federal lands. The Land and Water Conservation Fund's budget was increased by $25 million. The Fish and Wildlife Service received an increase of $75 million. Of that increase, $53 million is for addressing its maintenance backlog at federal wildlife refuges and federal fish hatcheries.
Department of the Treasury The Internal Revenue Service was allocated $196 million to improve customer service, modernize its systems, and implement the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.Erb, Kelly Phillips (March 24, 2018). "What's Included (And What's Not) In The $1.3 Trillion Omnibus Bill". Forbes. The Internal Revenue Service is prohibited from spending federal funds "to target citizens of the United States for exercising any right guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States" or "to target groups for regulatory scrutiny based on their ideological beliefs." The Internal Revenue Service may not spend federal funds "to issue, revise, or finalize any regulation, revenue ruling, or other guidance not limited to a particular taxpayer relating to the standard which is used to determine whether an organization is operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare for purposes of section 501(c)(4)."
Domestic aid The bill authorizes $74 billion for the adult Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The bill adds $15 million of funding for the Denali Commission, which helps remote villages in Alaska affected by erosion and the impact of climate change. The Trump Administration had previously recommended eliminating the Denali Commission.Martinson, Erin (March 23, 2018). "The big federal spending bill: What's in it for Alaska (and what isn't)". Anchorage Daily News. The National Flood Insurance Program was extended through July 31, 2018.Broach, Drew (March 28, 2018). "What New Orleans gets in the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill". The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana).
Education The United States Department of Education will forgive $350-million worth of student debts of borrowers under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.Uria, Daniel (March 28, 2018). "New spending bill includes $350M second chance for student loans". UPI News. The bill increased the maximum award for Pell Grants by $175.White, Herbert L. (March 23, 2018). "Omnibus adds spending for historically black colleges: Budget includes infrastructure and financial aid". The Charlotte Post. The bill adds $60 million to TRIO, eight programs that help low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to attend middle school, high school, college, and graduate school. The bill adds $10 million to GEAR UP, a program that helps middle schools and high schools in areas with high rates of poverty and provides college scholarships to students with low incomes.