Winners, losers in $1.1-trillion showdown

WASHINGTON • Retired miners, college students and Planned Parenthood are winners in the US$1.1 trillion spending bill unveiled on Monday. Losers are the wall along the U.S.Mexico border, efforts to store nuclear waste at Nevada’s Yucca Mountain and President Donald Trump, who had many of his recommendations rejected by Republicans and Democrats.

The catch-all spending bill rebuffed cuts to popular programs targeted by Trump such as medical research, the Environmental Protection Agency, foreign aid and infrastructure grants.

Democrats played a strong hand in the budget talks since their votes are needed to pass the bill, even though Republicans control both the White House and Congress.

As a result, the measure doesn’t look much different than the deal that could have been struck on President Barack Obama’s watch last year.

A look at some winners and losers in the bill that funds the government through Sept. 30:

WINNERS

Military. The bill includes US$593 billion for the military, including US$15 billion of Trump’s US$30 billion emergency request from earlier this year. The Pentagon would receive a US$26 billion increase over last year, a 4 per cent increase. Military personnel would get a 2.1 per cent pay hike. Planned Parenthood. The women’s health organization will continue to receive federal funding despite repeated Republican efforts to deny the group money over its abortion services.

Retired miners. The deal includes US$1.3 billion to extend health insurance benefits for more than 22,000 retired mine workers and their widows. College students. The bill restores eligibility for yearround Pell Grants for college students.

LOSERS

Border wall. Trump has repeatedly said that Mexico would pay for the 3,200-km border wall. The administration also sought US$1.4 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars for the wall and related costs in the bill, but Trump later said the issue could wait. Trump, however, obtained US$1.5 billion for border security measures such as 5,000 additional detention beds, an upgrade in border infrastructure and technologies such as surveillance.

Yucca Mountain. The bill includes no money to revive the dormant Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada. Trump has proposed US$120 million to restart the licensing process for Yucca Mountain in the budget year that begins in October. Nevada lawmakers strongly oppose the plan.

Trump. The president made concessions on the border wall and the White House backed off on a threat to withhold payments that help lower-income Americans pay their medical bills.