The bill, which must pass both the House and Senate, sets annual spending in accordance with a $1.07 annual budget cap. It includes sweeteners for Democrats, such $170 million for Flint, Mich., where lead has contaminated the water supply and $45 million to provide healthcare for retired coal miners.
But the waiver language for Mattis could complicate passage. Democrats today pledged to oppose any bill that includes a waiver, although the spending bill appears to only expedite that vote in the House and Senate.
While the language would speed up the process of passing legislation giving Mattis a waiver, passage would have to be done by a three-fifths vote in the Senate…
In addition to the provision regarding Mattis, the spending bill includes $4.1 million for disaster relief for drought and flood-stricken regions of the country.
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