Congress Ends Shutdown, Locks in Billions for Federal IT Modernization

Congress voted to fund the majority of government agencies through the end of September Tuesday, ending the partial shutdown that began Saturday. 

The House voted 217-214 to approve five of the six remaining appropriations bills. The trillion-dollar package only funds the Department of Homeland Security through next week. Partisan conflict over immigration enforcement prevented a full funding bill from proceeding for the department. 

“We finalized true, bipartisan, bicameral bills to fully fund our government in a member driven, district focused way,” Rep. Tom Cole, House appropriations chairman, said on the House floor. “Funding the government is not an optional exercise. It’s the most basic duty we have in Congress.” 

Both parties touted funding victories and several of the Trump administration’s key initiatives got financial backing from Congress. Here’s a look at some of the top line funds approved Tuesday for IT, defense innovation and data modernization: 

Defense Appropriations Act

• The Defense bill provides $838.7 billion in total funding, which includes Nuclear Triad modernization for the B-21 Raider, the Columbia Class Submarine and Sentinel, the Air Force’s ICMB system. 

• $13.4 billion for missile defense, space programs and the Golden Dome effort. 

• $4.5 billion for hypersonic test infrastructure, testing and weapons systems. 

• $4.3 billion in loans and loan guarantees for “critical suppliers.” 

• $2.947 billion in munition and industrial modernization across the military services and drone and counter-drone modernization across the joint force. 

• $1.5 billion for the Maritime Industrial Base to invest in strategic outsourcing and technology and infrastructure. 

Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act

• $26.3 billion to fund the operations of the Treasury Department, more than two dozen independent federal agencies, the federal judiciary, the District of Columbia, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and other executive offices. 

• $1.87 billion for the Treasury Department to combat illegal anti-money laundering, regulate banks and safeguard the financial system. 

• $45 million in Election Security Grants for states to improve the administration of federal elections, upgrade voting equipment and make voting security enhancements. 

Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

• $116.8 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including increased funding for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Modernization Initiative. 

• $48.7 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of which will be used for biomedical research. 

• $13.7 billion for the Labor Department, which includes $15 million to grow the cybersecurity workforce.

• $9.1 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some of which will be used for data modernization. 

• $3.69 billion for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), which includes funding for the Strategic National Stockpile and the Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain. 

National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act

• $50 billion for the State Department and other foreign affairs agencies and programs, including increased IT and cybersecurity at the department. 

• $9.4 billion for global health programs and a directive to support the research, development and delivery of vaccines and other innovative technologies for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other infectious diseases. 

Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

• $113.2 billion in total funding. 

• $111.8 billion for the Transportation Department, which includes $4 billion to modernize and maintain the air traffic control system. 

President Donald Trump signed the government funding legislation late Tuesday afternoon.