A major budget increase for the Pentagon and a $1.6 billion down payment for the border wall with Mexico are part of a $788 billion spending bill approved by the House of Representatives. The measure passed Thursday by a 235-192 vote, giving President Donald Trump and his House GOP allies a medium-sized win heading into the August recess. In the fall, the bill goes before the Senate, where it is expected to face stiff resistance from Democrats.
The bill would make good on longtime GOP promises to reverse an erosion in military readiness. It would give veterans programs a 5 percent increase and fund a 2.4 percent military pay raise.
While campaigning for president, Trump promised almost daily that the Mexican government would eventually pay for the border wall.
