Things in the Cromnibus you might like!
ABORTION: The bill once again bans using
federal funding to perform most abortions; blocks the use of local and
federal funding for abortions in the District of Columbia; and blocks the use
of federal dollars for abortions for federal prisoners. Republicans say that there's
also new language directing the secretary of health and human services to
ensure that consumers shopping for health-care coverage on the federal
exchange can tell whether a plan covers abortion services.
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT: The law is still funded, but there's no new money
for it. There's also no new ACA-related funding for the Internal Revenue
Service and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the two agencies
most responsible for implementing the law. The bill also would cut the budget
of the Independent Payment Advisory Board -- what Republicans have called
"the death panel" -- by $10 million.
AFGHANISTAN: Congress withholds funding for the Afghan government
"until certain conditions are met," including implementing the
bilateral security agreement reached with the United States.
CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: The agency would get more than
$6.9 billion, an increase of about $42.7 million. The nation's leading
disease-fighters also get $30 million to help fight Ebola (see below).
CLEAN WATER ACT: In a win for Republicans, the
spending bill blocks the Environmental Protection Agency from applying the
law to certain farm ponds and irrigation ditches -- a move that GOP aides
said would benefit farmers.
EBOLA: Roughly $5.4 billion is provided
across several agencies to combat the spread of the disease in the United
States and around the world. The amount is less than the $6 billion Obama
requested.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY: The agency gets
$8.1 billion, down $60 million from the last fiscal year. The agency's budget
has been slashed by $2.2 billion, or 21 percent, since fiscal 2010, according
to GOP aides. The cuts mean that EPA will have to reduce its staffing to the
lowest levels since 1989.
FEDERAL WORKER PAY (AND CONFERENCES): The bill allows
a 1 percent pay raise ordered by Obama to take effect in January. And the
legacy of embarrassing spending scandals at federal agencies persist as
Congress once again banned or put limits on certain conferences, official
travel and some employee awards.
GUANTANAMO BAY: Once again the Obama administration is banned from
transferring terrorism detainees to the United States from the U.S. military
facility in Cuba. There's also a ban on building or buying any facility in
the U.S. to house detainees. But the bill allows for the ongoing transfer of
detainees to other countries.
IMMIGRATION: The bill only funds the Department of Homeland Security,
which oversees most immigration policy, until February. But
negotiators gave new money for immigration programs at other federal agencies.
There's $948 million for the Department of Health and Human Service's
unaccompanied children program -- an $80 million increase. The program
provides health and education services to the young migrants. The department
also gets $14 million to help school districts absorbing new immigrant
students. And the State Department would get $260 million to assist Central
American countries from where of the immigrant children are coming.
INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE: One of the GOP's favorite targets
will see its budget slashed by $345.6 million. The nation’s tax agency also
would be banned from targeting organizations seeking tax-exempt status based
on their ideological beliefs.
LIBYA: The troubled country cannot
receive any U.S. aid until the secretary of state confirms the country is
cooperating with ongoing investigations into the September 2012 attack at the
U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
LIGHT BULBS: The bill once again prohibits new
standards that would ban the use of cheaper, less energy efficient incandescent
bulbs. The proposal was first introduced and set in motion by the Bush
administration, but the Obama White House allowed the change to continue,
despite sustained consumer demand for older bulbs.
NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH: The nation's
premier medical research agency would receive $30.3 billion, a $150 million
overall increase. Democrats noted that the new funding helps especially for
ongoing Alzheimer's and brain research programs.
OFFICIAL PORTRAITS: You’re a government official and
want an official portrait? You'll have to pay for it (or raise the funds).
The bill bans taxpayer funding for official portraits of any Executive Branch
employees, lawmakers and heads of legislative agencies.
PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY: The bill stops assistance to the
Palestinian Authority if it becomes a member of the United Nations or UN
agencies without an agreement with Israel. It also prohibits funds for Hamas.
PENSIONS: For the first time, the benefits
of current retirees could be severely cut, part of an effort to save some of
the nation’s most distressed pension plans. The change would alter 40 years
of federal law and could affect millions of workers; many of them part of a
shrinking corps of middle-income employees in businesses such as trucking,
construction and supermarkets. Read more on this here.
RACE TO THE TOP: The bill cuts funding for Obama's
signature education initiative -- a big blow to his education legacy,
according to The Post's Valerie Strauss. Overall, the Education Department
would take a slight hit in funding; at $70.5 billion, down $133 million below
the fiscal year 2014, but special education grants to states would get $25
million more than last year, up to $11.5 billion. There is also no
funding for the controversial Common Core State Standards in this
legislation.
SAGE-GROUSE: In a victory for the GOP, the
bill would ban the Fish and Wildlife Service from adding the rare bird found
in several Western states to the Endangered Species List. Republicans argue
that adding the bird to the list "would have severe economic
consequences on Western states and the nation’s efforts to become energy
independent." But there's also $15 million for the Bureau of Land
Management to conserve sage-grouse habitats.
SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM: The school lunch nutritional
changes sought by First Lady Michelle Obama take a hit. The bill allows more
flexibility to school districts to implement new whole grain nutrition
standards "if the school can demonstrate a hardship" when buying
whole grain products, according to Republicans. The bill also relaxes new
sodium standards until they are "supported by additional scientific
studies."
UNITED NATIONS: The perennial ban on providing
money for the ongoing renovation of U.N. Headquarters in New York remains
intact.
VETERANS: After a year of embarrassing
scandals at the sprawling Department of Veterans Affairs, lawmakers are
making good on promises to provide more money and oversight. There's a total
of $159.1 billion in discretionary and mandatory spending. Of that, $209
million was added to address new costs related to the bipartisan veterans'
reform bill passed last summer. The legislation calls for adding medical
staff and expanding dozens of facilities. In order to specifically addressing
the "wait list" scandal, the VA's inspector general is getting a $5
million budget increase to continue investigating lapses in patient care.
WHISTLEBLOWERS: The bill includes language
ensuring that government contractors are not barred from reporting allegations
of waste, fraud or abuse if they sign a confidentiality agreement. And the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration would receive a $500,000
increase for its enforcement of existing whistleblower laws.
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