Full Year Appropriations Reached

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Last week, just before adjourning for the holidays, the House Appropriations Committee released the 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill which includes full Appropriations legislation and funding for the 12 annual Appropriations bills through the end of the fiscal year, September 30, 2016. After passing both the House and Senate, the President promptly signed the bill which provides discretionary funding for the federal government for the current fiscal year avoiding the threat of a government shutdown.

The bill is consistent with the increased domestic discretionary funding provided by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 that was passed November 2, 2015.

Bill highlights include:

• A total of $1.149 trillion base
• Up to $680 billion in tax breaks
• $73.7 billion  Global War on Terror (GWOT)/Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding for the operations of the federal government to combat the threat of ISIL and other enemies around the world
• Provides $548 billion for defense and $518 billion for non-defense base

Moreover, the bill covers a wide range of important policy items such as increasing transparency and accountability at federal agencies, and halting administrative overreach that hinders economic growth. Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers noted that “this bill will provide a stop to wasteful and unnecessary spending and reining in regulatory overreach that hinders growth and job creation. It will help move the country in the right fiscal direction as we embark on a new year.”