The Senate Appropriations Committee passed two bills and approved top-line spending for 10 others at the levels indicated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the spending agreement reached by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in May.
The action took place at a June 22 markup, a committee session where a bill may be debated, amended, and voted upon. This sets the stage for a showdown with the House of Representatives, where its Appropriations Committee is pressing for larger spending cuts in some areas.
The Fiscal Responsibility Act limits defense spending to $886.2 billion for fiscal year 2024 and non-defense spending to $703.7 billion. The combined spending included in the 12 annual appropriations bills must fall within those limits. That does not include entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare….