US President Joe Biden said the agreement “brings us one step closer to preventing an unnecessary government shutdown and protecting important national priorities.”
Democrats and Republicans in Congress now have to negotiate further details and pass a law by January 19th. Otherwise, funding for part of government operations would cease.
The agreement calls for an increase in defense spending to approximately $886.3 billion. According to the Democrats, the non-military sector accounts for $772.7 billion. This makes it possible to protect “important domestic priorities” such as support for veterans or health benefits “from the draconian cuts sought by right-wing extremists,” explained Schumer and his party colleague Hakeem Jeffries.
Biden also emphasized that the agreement “rejects deep cuts to programs that hard-working families count on.” But the compromise is likely to anger the far-right wing of the Republican faction in the House of Representatives, whose representatives are pushing for austerity measures.
