Congress removed a stumbling block to funding the federal government on an annual basis by agreeing to budget numbers for the next two years by raising both defense and non-defense spending by the staggering number of $300 billion. This clears the way for Congressional appropriators to fund specific programs. Comprehensive funding for FY18 is now facing a deadline of March 23. The agreement also suspends the debt ceiling through March 1, 2019, which allows the government to continue to borrow money to pay its bills without Congressional approval. The budget deal allocated funding for disaster aid, Community Development Block Grants, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Community Health Centers.

View the Bipartisan Budget Agreement of 2018 here.