The package also includes $350 billion for border security, deportations and national security. Also included is a $4 trillion increase to the nation’s $36 trillion debt limit, which the Treasury Department says is needed by this summer to pay the nation’s bills, AP reported.
The bill met local pushback before passing in the House — U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson of Troy was one of two Republican “no” votes — and this week, billionaire Elon Musk criticized the spending package on his social media platform X. Musk announced last week he’d be stepping down from his role with the Department of Government Efficiency.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk posted on X. “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”
Happening in southwest Ohio:
• Job Corps cuts: Operations at Job Corps centers nationwide will be paused in phases, the U.S. Department of Labor announced, saying the federal program is “no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve.” Dayton’s Job Corps program had more than 200 students enrolled in it, and the future of those students is uncertain.
• Immigration and Springfield: Many of Springfield’s Haitian immigrants and groups that support them are feeling confused and anxious about a U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to take away some temporary legal protections, potentially exposing more than 500,000 people nationwide to deportation. Many Haitian immigrants have been in the United States legally under a federal humanitarian parole program for people whose home countries are unsafe.
Other federal updates:
• Travel ban: Trump on Wednesday resurrected a policy from his first term, announcing that citizens of 12 countries (Haiti, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen) would be banned from visiting the United States. Seven others (Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela) would face restrictions. The ban will go into effect on Monday, and Trump tied it to the recent terror attack in Colorado.
• Changes at the Pentagon: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced this week that the Pentagon is working to cut ties with outsourced contracts with the intention of redistributing funds to service members’ needs. The Pentagon released three memos outlining a requirement to justify outsourcing jobs that could be done by existing civilian workers. Hegseth said $10 billion in savings has already been identified, Stars and Stripes reported.
• Veterans Affairs programs: Veterans advocacy groups, including Paralyzed Veterans of America, told lawmakers that payment delays to vendors and staff cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs are creating barriers for people with disabilities. Veterans with severe disabilities can receive VA assistance for remodeling and construction. That may range from wheelchair ramps to changes to bathrooms and kitchens to improve accessibility. The VA also provides benefits for modifying vehicles, such as adding mechanical hand controls and wheelchair tie-downs. The VA works with vendors that provide and install adaptive equipment.
• ‘Warrior culture’: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, which was named after the gay rights activist and Korean War veteran who was murdered in office after passing legislation that barred discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing and employment. The change in name was laid out in an internal memo that officials said defended the action as a move to align with President Donald Trump and Hegseth’s objectives to “re-establish the warrior culture.” The Navy is also considering renaming planned, new ships honoring people like Harriet Tubman, national news outlets have reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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