Senate passes omnibus appropriations bill
January 16, 2014 | 11:01 PM
The Senate voted today to pass the Consolidated Appropriations Act, paving the way for President Barack Obama to sign the legislation by Saturday when the current continuing resolution funding the government expires.
The bill passed today will fund the government, including the Agriculture Department and related agencies, through the end of the 2014 fiscal year on September 30.
The Senate voted 72-26 for the measure.
All 53 Democrats, two independents and 17 Republicans voted for the bill. The 26 votes against it were all cast by Republicans. Two Republican senators — Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma — did not vote.
The House voted Wednesday to pass the bill, also by a large margin.
Sylvia Mathews Burwell
Office of Management and Budget Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell said in a blog post that the passage of the act “marks a positive step forward for the nation and our economy.”
“This bipartisan legislation,” Burwell wrote, “provides funding for investments in areas like education, infrastructure, and innovation — investments that will help grow our economy, create jobs, and strengthen the middle class.”
“It supports our national security by providing needed relief for the Defense Department from the untenable sequestration cuts that were undermining military readiness,” she wrote. “It ensures the continuation of critical services the American people depend on. And it brings us closer to returning the budget process to regular order.”
Burwell noted that the bill includes money for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to implement the Dodd-Frank financial services reform act, and for research and development on energy efficiency and clean energy.
The bill passed today will fund the government, including the Agriculture Department and related agencies, through the end of the 2014 fiscal year on September 30.
The Senate voted 72-26 for the measure.
All 53 Democrats, two independents and 17 Republicans voted for the bill. The 26 votes against it were all cast by Republicans. Two Republican senators — Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma — did not vote.
The House voted Wednesday to pass the bill, also by a large margin.
Sylvia Mathews Burwell
Office of Management and Budget Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell said in a blog post that the passage of the act “marks a positive step forward for the nation and our economy.”
“This bipartisan legislation,” Burwell wrote, “provides funding for investments in areas like education, infrastructure, and innovation — investments that will help grow our economy, create jobs, and strengthen the middle class.”
“It supports our national security by providing needed relief for the Defense Department from the untenable sequestration cuts that were undermining military readiness,” she wrote. “It ensures the continuation of critical services the American people depend on. And it brings us closer to returning the budget process to regular order.”
Burwell noted that the bill includes money for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to implement the Dodd-Frank financial services reform act, and for research and development on energy efficiency and clean energy.
