Congress agrees on a $1.1 trillion spending bill: What’s in it?

Just two days before the federal government ran out of money, House and Senate negotiators reached a deal on a $1.1 trillion spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.

Released late Tuesday night, the 1,603-page spending bill funds most of the government through September 2015. The Department of Homeland Security, however, would only be funded through Feb. 27.

The bill includes funding for various government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, which will receive more money than what the White House had asked for. There’s also funding to combat the Ebola epidemic, as well as funding to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

SEE ALSO: Congress works to avoid government shutdown

In addition, the spending bill also provides more funding to ensure veterans are given the medical care they need in light of the recent scandals at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

On immigration, the bill provides money for immigration programs, including $948 million for a program run by the Department of Health and Human Services that provides health and education services to unaccompanied minors.

Though the main intent of the spending bill is to provide funding for the federal government, it is also packed with dozens of policy riders.

Perhaps one of the most controversial policy rider included in the bill is one that would dramatically increase the amount of money the wealthy can contribute to a national political party. Currently, a person can donate a maximum of $32,400 to either the Democratic National Committee or the Republican National Committee. But the spending bill seeks to increase that maximum to $324,000.

Also controversial is a policy rider that would block the District of Columbia’s ballot initiative legalizing marijuana. The initiative passed in November with nearly 70 percent of the vote. The news shocked elected D.C. leaders and people who advocated for the ballot initiative.

Both of these policy riders, if debated, would likely face contentious arguments from both sides. But  they are now likely to pass without any congressional debate, because they are part of the must-pass spending bill.

SEE ALSO: Boehner proposes a plan to avoid a government shutdown

The House and Senate are expected to vote just hours before Thursday’s funding deadline. Though it’s expected to pass both chambers, there are some House Republicans who oppose it because it doesn’t do anything to block President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration. Meanwhile, there are also some Democrats who aren’t happy with some of the policy riders attached to the bill.

House Speaker John Boehner defended the spending bill on Wednesday, saying all the provisions in it “were worked out in a bipartisan, bicameral fashion.” The Republican leader from Ohio also said he expected the bill to pass.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid echoed Boehner’s remarks on Wednesday. “There’s no reason the government should shut down, and we’re ready to pass a yearlong spending bill to take care of this,” the Democratic leader from Nevada said.

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