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December 21, 2022

Senate Moves Forward $1.7 Omnibus Bill Cutting Key Social Priorities to Avert Gov't Shutdown
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The Senate advanced a $1.7 trillion spending package Tuesday that would
keep the government funded through next fall. The measure includes $858
billion in military spending and $45 billion for Ukraine. To secure
enough Republican support, Democrats sacrificed a number of social
programs, including the hugely popular child tax credit, which cut the
childhood poverty rate by half. California Congressmember Barbara Lee
tweeted, "Our child poverty epidemic is a choice made by the so-called
pro-life party." The sweeping bill also leaves out emergency pandemic
funding, a path to permanent legal status for Afghan evacuees in the
U.S., and includes a Medicaid provision that could lead to states
disenrolling up to 19 million low-income people. Congress must pass the
bill this week in order to avoid a government shutdown by a deadline of
midnight on Friday.


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