"Omnibus Spending Bill Passes After GOP Drops Anti-Environment Riders"

"Congressional negotiators also rejected Trump's deep cuts to EPA and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and dropped some campaign finance changes."

"Congress passed a $1.3 trillion federal spending bill early Friday following negotiations in which Republicans, in order to garner needed Democratic support, agreed to remove a slew of provisions that would have gutted environmental and campaign finance laws.

The congressional negotiators also agreed not to impose the draconian spending cuts President Donald Trump wanted in a variety of clean-energy and environmental enforcement programs, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Deparement's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. In fact, the latter saw an increase.

Because the so-called "omnibus" spending package includes funding for a wall on the Mexican border and a steep increase in Pentagon spending, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) was able to declare it a compromise that fulfilled Trump's agenda. And environmental, health and public interest advocates said the deal demonstrated the power of public outrage over dozens of riders the GOP sought to attach to the must-pass bill to fund the government through the remainder of this fiscal year."

Marianne Lavelle reports for InsideClimate News March 23, 2018.

SEE ALSO:

"Wildfire Funding Getting A Fix And Environmental Groups Aren’t Totally Pleased" (McClatchy)

"House Spending Bill Would Increase Funding For National Parks And Wildfire Suppression" (Washington Post)

"Spending Bill Rejects Trump Effort To Gut Water Cleanups" (AP)

"Budget Deal Increases Wildfire Disaster Funding By $2 Billion Annually" (HuffPost)

"Overnight Energy: Winners, Losers In Omnibus Bill | Epa Funding Stands At $8.1B | Lawmakers Get Wildfire Funding Fix" (The Hill)

"Omnibus Rejects Big EPA Cuts, Hikes Energy And Interior Funds" (E&E Daily)

"Forests: Applause All Around For Omnibus' Wildfire Fix" (Greenwire)