Congress approves $1.1 trillion spending package, averts government shutdown

It had earlier swept through the House on a pair of decisive votes on Thursday and Friday, marking a peaceful end to a yearlong struggle over the budget, taxes, and Republican efforts to derail his regulatory agenda.

The Senate plans to clear the bill later Friday after it is joined together with a $620 billion tax cut measure that passed the House – also on an unexpectedly bipartisan vote – Thursday.

The Senate also passed a sweeping package extending tax breaks and credits worth $629 billion aimed at providing greater certainty for businesses and millions of Americans. They warned if the bill didn’t pass, Republicans would still end up getting the tax cuts that were negotiated alongside the spending bill, and Democrats would be short-changing a host of programs they have fought to give more resources.

The legislation lifts a four-decades-old ban on USA crude oil exports, a historic move that nevertheless will have little immediate effect on oil markets.

“They wanted big oil so much that they gave away the store”, Pelosi said. Democratic wins also include higher domestic budgets and tax breaks for working families and renewable energy.

Congress ended its chaotic year on a surprising note of bipartisan unity and productivity Friday, overwhelmingly approving a massive 2016 tax and spending package and sending it to President Barack Obama, who promptly signed it.

On Capitol Hill, it was a harmonious conclusion to a wild 2015 that was driven largely by tea party lawmakers pushing for showdowns with Obama on immigration, Planned Parenthood and the president’s health law.

“The legislation strengthens our military and protects Americans from terrorist threats, while limiting the overreach of intrusive government bureaucracies like the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency”, Ryan said.

Some Republicans were anxious that the spending bill adds to the federal budget deficit and erodes the fiscal discipline that Republicans in the House of Representatives have become known for in recent years. Democrats followed Pelosi’s lead and backed the bill by a 166-18 margin.

Conservatives complained that Republican leaders agreed on the bill’s spending and tax provisions behind closed doors and then rushed the bill through the Senate on Friday morning.

Architects of the deal and congressional leaders worked overtime this week cajoling rank-and-file members on both sides into backing the $1.149 trillion, catch-all bill which came in at more than 2,000 pages. It contains large spending boosts for veterans and medical research.

In exchange for ending the oil export ban, Democrats won extensions of tax breaks for alternative power sources such as solar and wind energy.