The package of 12 appropriations bills provides nearly $1.7 trillion in total for fiscal year 2023, including $850 billion in defense discretionary spending, $653 billion in non-defense discretionary spending and $118 billion for veterans health care, the summary said on Thursday.
The defense spending includes allocations to increase troop pay amid historic inflation, strengthen the US defense industrial base, develop space capabilities and modernize outdated infrastructure, the summary added.
Earlier in July, the US House of Representatives passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2023, which likewise provided roughly $850 billion in defense funding.
The package includes $21 billion in emergency supplemental funding for COVID-19 pandemic response efforts, including money for the purchase and distribution of vaccines and tests, the summary said.
The $1.7 trillion package provides funding for reproductive health care programs impacted by the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Roe v. Wade ruling, green technology initiatives and substance abuse programs, the summary also said.
The legislation also authorizes spending for initiatives to address food insecurity, improving mental health care and supporting early childhood education, the summary added.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy said in a statement that the bills are an investment that promote affordable housing, help families put food on the table, support the education and care of young people, combat climate change, improve health care access and invest in communities.
Leahy also said he hopes to move closer to a bipartisan compromise on funding following months of stalled negotiations in Congress.