Omnibus Deal Ignores Trump Calls for Deep Energy, Enviro Cuts

Congressional leaders reached a bipartisan deal last night to fund the government through the rest of the year that avoids steep cuts for U.S. EPA and renewable energy programs sought by the Trump administration.

The bill would also provide a long-sought, permanent fix to guarantee health care benefits for retired union coal miners and their widows.  It does not contain many of the policy riders sought by Republicans to ease environmental regulations.

Lawmakers need to approve the $1.017 trillion deal by the end of the week and avoid a federal shutdown when current, stopgap funding expires late Friday.  The legislation would provide funds for the final five months of the fiscal year, which runs through Sept. 30.

Appropriators have spent months negotiating the omnibus package, which will include all 11 remaining fiscal 2017 spending bills.  In advance of the deal, federal agencies have been operating under fiscal 2016 spending levels with little flexibility in making budget changes.

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