Senate Passes $180B in 2026 Spending Bills

The Senate passed its first three fiscal 2026 appropriations bills before the August recess, marking the first early progress of this kind since 2018. The bipartisan package includes over $180 billion in discretionary funding for military construction, Veterans Affairs, agriculture, and the FDA, and was approved after days of negotiations and several amendments. Key provisions include increased funding for veterans' services, protections for the Veterans Crisis Line, and requirements for VA staffing reports. The legislative branch funding bill, which proposed a 6% spending increase, faced opposition and was passed in a separate vote. Some Democrats have raised concerns that the White House could potentially rescind or claw back allocated funds, threatening the agreements made in Congress. Lawmakers must still resolve broader spending and rescission issues to avoid a government shutdown when they reconvene in September.