Congress sends two-year budget agreement to president

The Senate today voted 67-28 to pass and send to the president a two-year budget agreement (H.R. 3877) that increases discretionary funding limits and suspends the debt limit for two years, through July 31, 2021. Without congressional action, statutory caps on discretionary funding would have forced an 11% cut to defense and 9% cut to nondefense discretionary programs for 2020 relative to 2019. The package, which cleared the House last week, is partially offset, including with a two-year extension of mandatory sequestration.