House OKs compromise $1.3 trillion budget bill

Measure does not address health insurance premiums, Dreamers

WASHINGTON» The House easily approved a bipartisan $1.3 trillion spending bill Thursday that pours huge sums into Pentagon programs and domestic initiatives ranging from building roads to combatting the nation’s opioid abuse crisis. But the bill left Congress in stalemate over shielding young Dreamer immigrants from deportation and curbing surging health insurance premiums.

The vote was 256-167, a one-sided tally that underscored the popularity of a budget deal among party leaders that provided enough money to address many of both sides’ priorities. Further highlighting how eager lawmakers were to claim victories, the House approved the 2,232-page package — which stood around a foot tall on some legislators’ desks — less than 17 hours after negotiators released it publicly.

The next step was Senate passage, which was assured.

But it was possible some Republican senators critical of the bill’s spending could delay its approval until after midnight Friday night. If that occurred, that would prompt the year’s third federal shutdown, an event that was sure to be brief but would still embarrass a GOP that controls the White House and Congress.

The White House said President Donald Trump supported the legislation, even though he tweeted Wednesday that he “had to waste money on Dem giveaways” on domestic programs to win increases for the military.

Congressional Republicans focused on the bill’s defense increases.

“Vote yes for our military. Vote yes for the safety and the security of this country,” said House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

Democrats touted spending boosts on biomedical research, child care and infrastructure projects. And Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., attributed part of the House’s hasty work on the measure to GOP fears of being stuck in Washington on Saturday, when huge throngs of students and others are expected to demonstrate in support of gun curbs. “They just don’t want to be around when the young people come to town,” Pelosi said.

Some Republicans were opposing the measure because of what they considered excessive spending. Some Democrats were opposed because it lacked language renewing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

The bill would deprive Trump of some of his border wall money and take only incremental steps to address gun violence. It also would substantially increase the federal deficit.