Government Funding Deal Includes Millions For Ebola Research, Boost To The National Science Foundation

With the clock ticking, congressional leaders delivered a $1.013 trillion spending deal on Tuesday ahead of a looming deadline that could still shutter the federal government on Friday if legislators fail to act.

If approved, the deal would provide emergency Ebola funds requested by the President in November and a small funding boost for some science agencies. The legislation would also fund nearly all of the government through September 2015.

The deal includes more than $5 billion in emergency funding for Ebola, roughly $1 billion less than requested by the Obama Administration. The bulk of that money is slated for emergency preparedness at U.S. hospitals and abroad, but some $25 million would go to the Food & Drug Administration for the evaluation of Ebola drugs and vaccines.

Weathering ongoing attacks from conservatives in Congress, the National Science Foundation would receive $7.3 billion, a modest 2.4% increase for basic science over fiscal 2014.

The bill, dubbed “CRomnibus,” is a mash-up. It includes an omnibus legislation package that would provide annual funding for all federal agencies, save the Department of Homeland Security. The measure would fund DHS only through February 2015 via short-term funding legislation called a continuing resolution, or CR. This move would give the incoming Republican-controlled Congress a chance to undo President Barack Obama’s recent executive action on immigration as lawmakers work out legislation to fund DHS through September 2015. DHS controls immigration to the U.S.

The House of Representatives is expected to take up the government funding bill on Thursday, leaving little time for Senate consideration before the midnight deadline for a federal shutdown. To prevent a government shutdown, Congress is expected to approve a short-term funding of the government through the weekend, giving the Senate time to act on the longer term measure.