In a remarkable act of functionality, the people in Congress responsible for appropriations presented six bills that will keep six federal agencies funded through the fiscal year, the Washington Post reports. The bills must now be passed by the House before heading over to the Senate, where their confirmation is assured.
The funding for the Departments of Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Agriculture, Interior, and Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration would continue at 40% less than the last full fiscal year, while there would be cuts to the EPA, FBI and ATF.
A member of Republican House leadership said that while this bill can get passed, the conference is still very split on funding the rest of the government, which hits its financial wall on March 28th, saying the group is “still in the midst of significant negotiations in the second package.”