House Passes $1.1T Omnibus Spending Bill

The U.S. House approved a $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill on Friday morning in a 316-113 vote. The year-end spending bill was the product of compromises from both ends: Conservative legislators were unhappy the bill allows for increased spending and does not address Syrian refugees or abortion concerns; liberals wanted it to aid the Puerto Rican debt crisis and address environmental issues. Nevertheless, majorities from both parties voted in favor of the final product. Included in the final bill is the contentious CISA cyberlaw, which encourages private companies to share information with the government—a concern for privacy advocates.