The United States House of Representatives approved a new version of the Defense spending authorization project that would allocate more than $100 million for military construction in Puerto Rico, including $84 million for the new school at the old Ramey base, an initiative that it had already been on the agenda.
The legislation includes energy conservation projects at Fort Allen de Juana Díaz ($12.19 million) and at the same Ramey school to be built ($10.12 million). It also allocates $ 14 million for a housing project in Fort Buchanan.
Congress seeks to pass a Defense spending authorization bill this week that combines the legislation passed this year in the House of Representatives with the version of the Senate Armed Forces Committee. The measure authorizes spending for the remainder of federal fiscal year 2022, which began October 1.
The measure – which now must be ratified in the Senate – authorizes military spending that would total $768 billion during this fiscal year. The funds for the construction of the school in Ramey were already part of the previous legislation passed in the lower house.
The funds for Ramey’s school had been requested by President Joe Biden after former President Donald Trump diverted an earlier allocation of $61 million to his efforts to build a wall on the border with Mexico.
President Biden has endorsed the compromise between the Senate and the House of Representatives.
On the other hand, the House of Representatives approved (222-212) the measure that would allow the Senate – in independent legislation-, to bypass filibustering to increase the federal debt ceiling and guarantee that the United States government complies with all your obligations as of December 15.
Only one Republican – Adam Kinzinger (Illinois), who is retiring from the House – voted in favor of the legislation.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) is confident they will have 10 Republican votes to pass the measure in the Senate.
Legislation establishing the process to raise the debt ceiling allows cuts to Medicare, farm assistance and other programs that were due to take effect in January to be postponed.
