HR 2029: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016

HR 2029 in plain English: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 provides full-year federal government funding through the end of FY2016, increasing discretionary spending above FY2015 levels in line with the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. It also extends and makes permanent certain expiring tax provisions, lifts the ban on U.S. crude oil exports, reauthorizes intelligence and cybersecurity programs, and makes changes to health care, financial services, immigration visa waivers, and conservation policies.

Stated purpose

To fund the entire federal government for fiscal year 2016 by combining all twelve regular appropriations bills into one law, while also extending or changing policies in areas such as taxes, cybersecurity, oil exports, health care, and national security.

Key points

• Provides full-year FY2016 appropriations for all federal agencies, with discretionary spending increased above FY2015 levels
• Ends the longstanding ban on U.S. crude oil exports
• Reauthorizes health and compensation programs for 9/11 first responders
• Suspends and extends various tax provisions, including several from the Affordable Care Act
• Reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund and creates a voluntary cybersecurity information-sharing process

Arguments supporters make

• Passing all funding in one bill keeps the government open and avoids a costly shutdown that disrupts services millions of people depend on.
• The bill includes broadly supported items like reauthorizing health benefits for 9/11 first responders and renewing the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
• Lifting the crude oil export ban can increase American energy production, support jobs, and strengthen the U.S. position in global energy markets.

Arguments opponents make

• Bundling hundreds of policy changes into one massive must-pass bill limits debate and transparency, forcing lawmakers to accept provisions they oppose in order to keep the government funded.
• Exempting many spending and tax provisions from pay-as-you-go rules adds to the national debt without offsetting the costs elsewhere.
• Critics of suspending ACA-related taxes argue it undermines funding for health coverage expansions that millions of lower-income Americans rely on.

Tradeoffs

Packaging everything into one bill makes it easier to pass a complete budget on time, but it also means less scrutiny for individual provisions and fewer opportunities to vote against specific policies. Increased spending above 2015 levels funds a wider range of programs but also raises total government expenditures.

Current status in Congress: Became law.

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