- On Thursday night, the House of Representatives voted to pass a bipartisan spending compromise to fund most of the government through the fall of 2015, in a vote of 219-206. The bill now heads to the Senate, which is expected to vote on it soon.
- Many Democrats were reluctant to support the bill because, though it kept the overall level of government funding about the same, it included policy riders on issues that had nothing to do with funding the government. However, after lobbying from the Obama administration, 57 Democrats voted yes in the end, along with most Republicans.
- In particular, the bill repeals a provision of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law preventing FDIC-insured banks from trading "custom swaps." Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) criticized the provision as a sop to big banks.
- The bill also blocks funding for the implementation of marijuana legalization in DC, raises the amount individuals can donate to political parties, and allows coal plants overseas to receive more US government loans.
More Vox coverage of the government spending deal:
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