The first was approval of a $401 billion military appropriations package for next year, the biggest ever.
The White House, meanwhile, has threatened to veto the entire $139 billion appropriations package if the Senate provision opposing the overtime revision remains in it.
Representative C. W. Bill Young, the Florida Republican who is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said, "We are pleased to have reached agreement with House and Senate Republicans and Democrats, as well as the administration, on a final appropriations package".
Politico reports that an omnibus appropriations package being crafted in Congress will give the National Institutes of Health a $692 million raise in 2010.
The plan is part of a larger appropriations package that, among other things, eased sanctions on Cuba and provided aid to farmers in Vermont.
Negotiations now turn to setting a full-year appropriations package.
The new Commerce, Justice and Science appropriations package includes $1.315 billion for planetary science in NASA's budget, close to $100 million more than the $1.217 billion the Obama administration had requested.
Because Mexico cannot receive any cash under Plan Mexico, the entire appropriations package translates into juicy contracts for arms manufacturers, mercenary firms, and U.S. defense and intelligence agencies.
Now, Congress should join me and my colleague, Adam Kinzinger, in calling on the House Appropriations Committee to, like last year, authorize urgently needed Afghan SIVs in the end-of-the-year appropriations package that we will soon have here on the floor.
has also promised to fight for a rider in the appropriations package Congress is expected to pass next week that would allow employers to refuse to cover contraception in their health insurance plans for moral reasons.
