It is expected that today, 14 February, Congress will approve a bipartisan deal on funding of a significant part of the Federal government, hoping to avert a new shutdown.
The Senate will consider the bill in the first place, then the bill must vote the House of representatives. If everything goes smoothly, tomorrow, February 15, the bill will go to the President’s Desk Donald Trump to sign.
The President, who said earlier this week that he was «not thrilled» by the deal, did not say whether he would sign the bill.
Bill on more than 1,000 pages, provides $1,375 billion for the construction of fencing on the southern border of the United States, but not for the walls of the trump. That’s less than the $1.6 billion that the administration of the President requested last summer, and, of course, is much less than the $5.7 billion that the President requested in December 2018.
The bill also States that the Department of homeland security may not establish new barriers in certain parks and reservations and is obliged to consult with local authorities prior to construction.
The bill provides funding for 200 agents of border control, employed since October, but does not Fund the recruitment of new agents this year.
The bill sets new standards of how to take care of the immigrants during their detention, for example, it refers to the provision of some medical treatment. It also includes the increase in the wages of Federal employees by 1.9%.
In addition to the proverbial wall, in the bill there is additional help on elimination of consequences of natural disasters (forest fires and hurricanes) in California and Florida.
And the speaker of the house of representatives Nancy Pelosi, and majority leader in the Senate Mitch McConnell urge my colleagues to support the bill and to avoid a repetition of 35-day government closure (shutdown).
«This isn’t a perfect deal, but it’s a good deal,» said McConnell.
