House Pushes Forward on Spending Packages That Would Boost Hiring, Block Trump-Backed Reforms

The House this week moved closer to passing a sweeping collection of appropriations bills to fund federal agencies in fiscal 2020, the first such packages to set spending levels past September and measures that include an array of provisions affecting the federal workforce. The first “minibus” bill would set line-by-line appropriations for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Defense, State and Energy, as well as an array of other agencies and the legislative branch. Lawmakers have yet to reach an agreement to set overall spending levels by raising budget caps, something both parties are negotiating in consultation with the White House. Absent such an agreement, which is expected to include an increase to the nation’s borrowing limit, both defense and non-defense agencies would face a drastic cut of $125 billion combined.