Federal funding bill decreases spending, limits firing power

By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to pass a funding bill on Thursday that would take a step toward averting a partial government shutdown at the end of the month and limit the ability to fire federal workers.

The package would fund the Department of Commerce, Department of Justice, Department of Energy, the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency and several others.

The proposed appropriations would trim budgets for the Departments of Justice, Interior, Commerce and Energy from previous levels.

The bill calls for cutting the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget by 4%, compared to 55% called for by the Trump administration. The budget also allotted $24.43 billion for NASA, which serves as a 2% decrease from the previous appropriations levels.

The lawmakers also proposed a $3.27 billion budget for the National Park Service, a 2% decrease from previous budget appropriations.

House and Senate Democrats hailed the proposed budgets as fighting back against President Donald Trump’s federal agency cuts and providing more funding for scientific research.

“Democrats defeated heartless cuts that would have increased Americans’ costs and extreme proposals that would have jeopardized people’s safety and enshrined backwards policies in laws for years to come,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., also praised the legislation for protecting congressional power of the purse and funding for “Democratic priorities.”

Republicans highlighted the remainder of essential services provided through the government agencies Congress is funding.

“The Department of Justice will be able to fulfill its important mission protecting Americans from wrongdoers, including combating illicit drugs like the scourge of fentanyl,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla. “We prioritize American energy dominance and safeguarding critical mineral resources. National parks will be open and operating, and essential wildfire protection programs will remain in place.”

Lawmakers’ budget also proposed a $160 million increase for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. The office supports research at 17 national labs across the country.

“This is a fiscally responsible package that restrains spending while providing essential federal investments that will improve water infrastructure in our country, enhance our nation’s energy and national security, and spur scientific research necessary to maintain U.S. competitiveness,” said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Critically, the bill prevents listed agencies from using congressionally appropriated funds to engage in reorganization efforts. The provision appears aimed at preventing the mass firings and federal funding cuts that the Trump administration underwent last year.

“Importantly, passing these bills will help ensure that Congress, not President Trump and Russ Vought, decides how taxpayer dollars are spent – by once again providing hundreds of detailed spending directives and reasserting congressional control over these incredibly important spending decisions,” said Murray.

If this legislation is passed by both chambers and signed into law by Trump, Congress would still need to pass six more appropriations bills by Jan. 30.