Senate sends three-bill spending package to White House after bipartisan vote
By lauraharris // 2026-01-16
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  • The Senate approved a three-bill spending package in an 82–15 vote Thursday, Jan. 15, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump for final approval.
  • The measure replaces a temporary funding resolution and provides full-year funding for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, Energy and the Interior, including $24.4 billion for NASA.
  • The package boosts funding for key agencies, including $50.8 billion for the Department of Energy and $42.56 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior and related agencies, exceeding the administration's budget request in some areas.
  • Democrats said the legislation protects Congress' constitutional power over federal spending and avoids disruptions caused by short-term funding extensions.
  • Some Republicans opposed the bill, arguing it fails to curb overall federal spending and funds programs they view as unnecessary.
The Senate has approved a three-bill spending package that provides full-year funding for several departments, sending the legislation to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature. The measure, passed by a vote of 82 to 15 Thursday, Jan. 15,  replaced a temporary funding resolution that reopened the federal government late last year and allocates billions of dollars for the Department of Commerce (DOC), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of the Interior (DOI). Under the package, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) would receive $24.4 billion. According to the bill summary, one of the bills included in the package provides $1.7 billion for the DOI and the Bureau of Reclamation, an amount that exceeds the administration's fiscal year 2026 request. The DOE would receive $50.8 billion, an increase over both the prior fiscal year and the administration's proposed budget. Funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the DOI and related agencies would total $42.56 billion, including $8.82 billion for the EPA. With Senate passage complete, the spending package now awaits final approval by the president, locking in funding for the covered agencies for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Spending package exposes partisan divide over federal funding priorities and congressional power

According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, federal funding is a financial support provided by the federal government to states, local governments and other entities for various programs and initiatives. It is often allocated based on specific criteria and formulas and can be a significant source of revenue for recipient organizations, sometimes even creating incentives to spend more to receive more funding. However, lawmakers split along familiar partisan lines over the spending package. Democrats argued it protects congressional authority and key investments, while some Republicans said it fails to adequately rein in federal spending. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the package preserves Congress' constitutional authority over federal spending by setting detailed funding levels that limit the executive branch's ability to redirect or reduce appropriated funds. She emphasized the importance of passing full-year appropriations rather than relying on short-term continuing resolutions that can disrupt agency operations. "While President Trump has pushed to slash and even outright defund programs that help families get by, Democrats fought to protect investments that matter most to working and middle-class families in every part of the country. Democrats defeated heartless cuts that would have increased Americans' costs and extreme proposals that would have jeopardized people's safety and enshrined backwards policies in law for years to come," Murray said. In contrast, some Republicans opposed the measure despite broad bipartisan support. They argued that this measure does not go far enough to curb federal spending. "We are more than $38 trillion in debt. The American people elected Republicans to cut spending and eliminate left-wing waste in the budget. H.R. 6938 does none of this, which is why I voted NO today. Not only does this 'minibus' fail to reduce spending, but it is also packed with Democrat earmarks and socialist pet projects that federal tax dollars have no business financing. Here are just a few examples," Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-Utah) said he also voted no, citing funding for programs he described as unnecessary, including diversity initiatives, climate research and certain nonprofit organizations. Watch JD Rucker discussing how Trump is seeking an executive order to end sanctuary cities in this clip.
This video is from the JD Rucker channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: YourNews.com Appropriations.senate.gov X.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com
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