8 Things To Know About The 'Cromnibus' Budget Deal Congress Just Unveiled

Last edited Wed Dec 10, 2014, 05:14 PM - Edit history (1)

With government funding running out in a matter of days, congressional negotiators unveiled a spending bill for the coming year late on Tuesday night. Lawmakers and their staffs are poring over the 1,600-page document now and details of what it will mean for various programs are still emerging.

While the bill doesn’t make drastic changes to total government spending, it does contain a number of changes to public policy or funding levels that concern progressive groups and weaken programs for society’s most vulnerable. Here are seven important provisions buried within the so-called “cromnibus” bill.

Tax collectors will have to get by with a lot less money thanks to a second straight year of cuts to enforcement.

Congress got Wall Street two early Christmas presents.

The bill leaves homeless advocates out in the cold.

Affordable housing advocates are worried that the bill will harm low-income families.

The people who drive 80,000-pound trucks won’t have to sleep as often before getting on the highway.

Washington D.C.’s marijuana legalization effort might be disrupted. Or it might not be.

Campaign finance regulations are phased out.

The bill cuts $300 million from Pell Grants for low-income college students and gives it to student loan debt collectors.

Details of the changes on each item are in the article: http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/12/10/3601742/cromnibus-lowlights/

Updated with the cut to the Pell Grants information.