The $50 billion compromise foreign affairs spending bill, which includes billions for foreign assistance, is now law — even if it took a little longer than expected.
The legislation passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a wide margin a few weeks ago but was later bundled with other bills, delaying its passage in the Senate.
In the Senate, it was considered alongside a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, which became politically contentious after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by a border patrol agent in Minneapolis. Senate Democrats said they would not approve DHS funding without reforms to the agency. Lawmakers eventually reached a compromise, with the Senate voting on Friday to approve five funding bills along with a short-term extension of DHS funding while reform talks continue.
About the author
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex where she covers development finance, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development and authors the weekly Devex Invested newsletter bringing the latest news on the role of business and finance in addressing global challenges. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.
