US House of Representatives passes $1.149 billion 2016 budget bill

On December 18, the US House of Representatives approved a spending package worth more than 1,149 billion USD for fiscal year 2016, which provides budget for government agencies until the end of September 2016.

US Capitol Building. (Source: Reuters)

This bill, if passed by the Senate, would help the US government avoid a shutdown right before the year-end holidays.

The bill, which passed the House by a vote of 316 to 113, would tighten visa requirements, increase defense spending, make reform proposals to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and lift a four-decade ban on US crude oil exports.

This $1.149 trillion spending package is considered to reconcile the priorities of both Republicans and Democrats.

By extending a decades-old ban on federal funding for gun research and deferring for two years the medical device tax, a provision of President Barack Obama's health insurance law, the bill pleased Democratic lawmakers.

Meanwhile, the lifting of the four-decade-old ban on crude oil exports was seen as a surprise move and a major success for the Republican Party.

The US Senate is expected to vote on the bill later in the day. The White House also said US President Barack Obama will sign it into law./.

According to Vietnam+