Washington (agencies)
Yesterday, US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson announced that senior congressional leaders had agreed on a total federal spending level of $1.6 trillion for fiscal year 2024, with the aim of avoiding a partial government shutdown later in the month. Johnson, who belongs to the Republican Party, added in a letter to lawmakers that the total amount includes $886 billion for defense spending, and $704 billion for non-defense spending.
US President Joe Biden had already signed the defense spending section into law last month through the defense spending bill.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a joint statement that discretionary funding in the non-defense area “will protect key domestic priorities such as veterans benefits, health care, and food assistance” from the cuts he seeks. Some Republicans.
The statement indicated that non-defense spending amounts to $772.7 billion, which is about $69 billion more than what Johnson mentioned.
Congress was scheduled to discuss with the government this week the deadlines scheduled for January 19 and February 2 to settle the issue of government spending until September, amid demands from Republicans to reduce discretionary spending for the fiscal year 2024 below the maximum limits agreed upon in June.
Last spring, Biden agreed with then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on an estimated spending of $1.59 trillion in the defense and non-defense fields.
Biden said yesterday that the agreement brought the country closer to “avoiding an unnecessary government shutdown and protecting important national priorities,” adding, “It reflects the funding levels that I negotiated with the two parties.”
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