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Congress Approves Massive Spending And Tax Cut Legislation

“He planned to sign the measure promptly”. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. The deficit was $439 billion for the fiscal year that ended on September 30.

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The United States Congress has shown an uncommon note of bipartisan unity and agreed on a tax and spending bill to be sent to US President Barack Obama.


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While he described the package as a “good win”, Obama acknowledged there are “some things in there that I don’t like. But it is a budget that, as I insisted, invests in our military and our middle class without ideological provisions that would have weakened Wall Street reform or rules on big polluters”.


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“If anyone needed more evidence of why the American people are suffering at the hands of their own government, look no further than the budget deal announced by Speaker Ryan”, Trump, the GOP front-runner, said in a statement. “But that’s the nature of legislation and compromise, and I think the system worked”.

Republicans, who control the House, smoothed the way for the tax bill by making it part of the wider agreement in Congress to prevent the government from running out of funding in the coming days. Passage of the deal was helped by the shrinking in recent years of the US budget deficit.

Congress gave final approval Friday to one of the most ambitious legislative packages in years – a $1.1 trillion funding bill that anticipates up to $680 billion in tax breaks and dozens of substantial policy initiatives including an end to a ban on exporting oil.

The House voted 316-113 to pass the spending portion of the package on Friday, when it won support from Republicans by a 150-95 margin.

The lopsided House vote was a major victory for new Speaker Paul Ryan.

Senate Republicans were evenly split on the bill, with 27 of them voting in favor and 26 against.

Several of the GOP presidential candidates in the Senate were among those opposing the legislation. Only Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., voted for it.

The evening before the vote, Cruz wrote an op-ed torching the legislation. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) missed the vote.

Some conservatives were unhappy to see the spending and tax deals pass. House Freedom Caucus member Tim Huelskamp (R-Kan.) said both bills are loaded with special interest handouts and spending increases that will only fuel the anti-establishment wing of the Republican party.

The strong vote tally in the face of these concerns is a victory for new House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), whose allies had pushed their reluctant GOP colleagues to vote for the bill arguing it would strengthen their new leader’s ability to negotiate deals next year.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hailed the bipartisan legislation as a big achievement for Republicans to get Congress back to work.

Mr Ryan received a congratulatory call from Mr Obama, who thanked him for keeping government working through compromise.

“The Wind and Solar Tax Credits we added to the Omnibus bill eliminate about ten times more carbon pollution than the export of crude oil will add”, she said. And they blocked numerous policy “riders” Republicans sought on the environment and other issues.

Even though Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi backed the plan and urged fellow Democrats to vote for it, she had said Thursday she wasn’t confident her party could deliver enough votes to help Ryan get it passed.

Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, a member of the Appropriations Committee, managed much of the floor debate for Republicans and said all lawmakers could find items to support or oppose in such a huge package.

The spending measure awards increases of about 6 percent on average above tight spending caps that were set by a 2011 budget and debt deal, and were opposed by both GOP defense hawks and Democrats seeking boosts in domestic spending.

More than 50 expiring tax cuts will be extended, with more than 20 becoming permanent, including credits for companies’ expenditures for research and equipment purchases and reductions for lower-earning families and households with children and college students.

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Ryan cited the lifting of the oil export ban, the large increase for the Pentagon and curbs on the activities of the Environmental Protection Agency and the IRS as wins for Republicans.

The Capitol Dome is illuminated amid scaffolding for repairs in Washington Friday morning Dec. 18 2015. The House and Senate race to wrap up votes on a massive spending and tax package which President Barack Obama promises to sign. [J. Scott Applewhi