After getting through the House and the Senate, President Joe Biden signs the $1.7 trillion federal government spending package.
Federal Government Spending Package Signed
A $772.5 billion budget was allotted for nondefense discretionary programs and $858 billion for defense funds. This budget shows a great increase in spending for both areas in 2023. It also includes a $45 billion budget for emergency assistance to Ukraine and NATO allies. In addition to this, several programs were launched to enhance services including an overhaul of the electoral vote-counting law, protections for pregnant workers, an enhancement to retirement savings rules, and a TikTok ban on federal devices.
Even though having been well thought out, the 4,000-page law left out several measures that some lawmakers had fought to include. One of these is the expansion of the child tax credit. Another is multiple corporate and individual tax breaks which were not included. This has been a product of lengthy negotiations between top congressional Democrats and Republicans.
After getting through the House and the Senate, President Joe Biden signs the $1.7 trillion federal government spending package. (Photo: NBC News)
The Components Included in the Spending Law
The spending law included a lot of measures to fully utilize the government’s budget. First thing is that it will provide $45 billion to support Ukraine’s efforts to defend against Russia’s attack. Next, $38 billion will go to emergency disaster assistance to help Americans in the west and southeast affected by recent natural disasters.
Also, there will be a provision in the legislation that aims at making it harder to overturn a certified presidential election. Next is the provision of $2.6 billion for US Attorneys, which includes funding efforts to further support prosecutions related to the January 6 attack on the Capitol and domestic terrorism cases. This will allocate $11.3 billion to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including for efforts to investigate extremist violence and domestic terrorism.
Another allotment would include retirement saving enhancements. It contains new retirement rules that could make it easier for Americans to accumulate retirement savings. Next is a ban on TikTok from several devices. A wave of states led by Republican governors has introduced state-level restrictions on the use of TikTok on government-owned devices.
These are just some of the measures included in the spending package law. All of this information can be found in a published post by CNN Politics.
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