Congressional Leaders Announce $1.59 Trillion Spending Deal

Dramatic view of the United States Capitol Building in Washington DC.

Photo: Mikhail Makarov / iStock / Getty Images

House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced they have reached an agreement on how much money the government will spend as negotiations continue on how that money will be dolled out.

The $1.59 trillion deal will include $886 billion in defense spending and $704 billion in non-defense spending.

The deal is the first step in avoiding a government shutdown later this month.

"The bipartisan topline appropriations agreement clears the way for Congress to act over the next few weeks in order to maintain important funding priorities for the American people and avoid a government shutdown," Schumer said in a joint statement with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Johnson said that he understands that not everybody will be happy with the deal but noted that it prioritizes Republican objectives.

"While these final spending levels will not satisfy everyone, and they do not cut as much spending as many of us would like, this deal does provide us a path to: 1) move the process forward; 2) reprioritize funding within the topline towards conservative objectives, instead of last year's Schumer-Pelosi omnibus; and 3) fight for the important policy riders included in our House FY24 bills," Johnson wrote in his letter to colleagues.

It will now be up to Johnson to craft legislation that can pass the House and appease the more conservative members of his party. Then Schumer will have to sell those bills to the Democratic-controlled Senate.


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