THE WHEELS ON THE OMNIBUS — This morning, we broke down some of the most notable big-ticket inclusions and omissions in the text of the omnibus government spending bill released overnight, from Electoral Count Act reform to Ukraine aid to the expanded child tax credit. But in such a behemoth — appropriating $1.7 trillion over more than 4,000 pages — there are plenty more consequential policy decisions to dig into. Here are some more provisions you should know:
What else is in …
— A bipartisan effort to block a tax avoidance scheme via syndicated conservation easements. ProPublica backstory on “The Tax Scam That Won’t Die”
— A higher cap for Afghan special immigrant visas, moving from 34,500 to 38,500, and $2.4 billion to reimburse states for supporting Ukrainian refugees.
— A 30% boost for child care spending through the Child Care and Development Block Grant program. That’s half the increase that Democrats had sought. More from Eleanor Mueller for Pros
— Protections for the Maine lobster industry, for which the state’s delegation had fought hard. Unhappiness from whale advocates, via WaPo
— The first major overhaul of cosmetics regulation in 84 years, giving more authority over the market to the FDA. More from Lauren Gardner for Pros
— Significant changes to 401(k) retirement accounts that include…
