Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, is a major funding package that provides approximately $459 billion to maintain the operations of six federal departments through the remainder of the 2024 fiscal year. By signing this bill into law, the government avoided a partial shutdown and secured funding for the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Energy, Interior, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs.

For everyday citizens, the act has several practical impacts:

Veterans and Military Families:* It provides record-level funding for veterans' healthcare, including mental health services and assistance for homeless veterans, while also funding the construction of new military housing and child care centers on bases.

Infrastructure and Housing:* The bill supports the modernization of the national air traffic control system, provides grants for bridge and highway repairs, and maintains rental assistance for millions of low-income families and seniors.

Nutrition and Health:* It fully funds the WIC program to ensure pregnant women and children have access to nutritious food and extends funding for community health centers and diabetes research.

Public Safety:* The act provides resources for federal law enforcement to combat the fentanyl crisis and increases funding for the FBI and U.S. Attorneys to address violent crime and backlogs in the justice system.

Additionally, the law extends several expiring public health programs and updates the "Compacts of Free Association," which are strategic agreements between the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.