In a separate statement, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said the non-defense budget was $772.7 billion. Congress will now work to pass specific spending bills before the Jan. 19 deadline, when some agencies run out of money on Feb. 2.
Congressman Chuck Schumer ( left ) and House Speaker Mike Johnson at the Capitol recently
Schumer and Jeffries said the $772.7 billion non-defense budget would ensure that spending on domestic priorities would not be cut. In addition, the two Democratic leaders emphasized that the agreement would pave the way for Congress to act in the coming weeks to maintain important budget priorities for Americans and avoid a government shutdown. "We have made clear to House Speaker Mike Johnson that we will not support the inclusion of harmful policy changes in any of the 12 budget bills before Congress," the two lawmakers said in a statement.
President Joe Biden welcomed the bipartisan agreement, saying it moved closer to averting an unnecessary government shutdown and protecting national priorities. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell welcomed the agreement and urged Congress to act quickly to pass resources amid serious national security challenges.
White House warns Ukraine aid situation is 'disastrous'
In a letter to his Republican colleagues, House Speaker Johnson acknowledged that the final spending package would not please everyone, but he also praised the negotiating victories that forced Democrats to make concessions, including a $10 billion reduction in the IRS budget and other substantial cuts. Meanwhile, hard-line Republicans in the House called the January 7 agreement a “total failure.”
According to The Hill , the budget ceiling does not include the amount of money the White House has proposed for aid to Ukraine and Israel, which has not yet been approved.
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