(RNN) – The sheer scope of an omnibus spending bill usually means some highly particular items become law.
Friday’s $1.3 trillion bill signed by President Donald Trump will fund operations across the U.S. government until September.
The president derided the process by which the bill came to pass. “Nobody read it,” he said.
Nonetheless, Trump signed it, putting into motion the countless provisions contained within the 2,232-page bill.
“There are a lot of strings pulling everyone in different directions,” Trump said.
Here are some details, from the significant to the frivolous, combed from the massive document (full disclosure: No, we did not read all of it, but you’re welcome to HERE) about where federal money will be spent over the next six months:
- “Save America’s Pastime Act” – It’s a dubious proposition that baseball needs saving, or that this provision will in any way save it, but this regulation is something Major League Baseball teams have wanted for some time. Basically, it exempts them from labor laws with minor league players who are under contract. That means not paying overtime or adhering to minimum wage restrictions for players, most of whom won’t make it even close to the big leagues, and are already making as little as a few thousand bucks a season.
- Tipping protections – The Department of Labor proposed last year changing regulations related to tipping, which could have allowed owners to pool employee tips and possibly even take them for their own. The law now explicitly states “an employer may not keep tips received by its employees for any purposes.”
- ACORN funding banned – This stipulation, on page 1,045, bars federal funds going to ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. It was the subject of a lot of criticism from the right for its activities regarding things like voter registration during the Obama presidency. It wasn’t much of a threat to receive federal funding in 2018, however, as it dissolved in 2010.
- “Taylor Force Act” – This is a provision long sought by pro-Israel lawmakers and advocates. It's named for an Army officer, Taylor Force, who was killed in a 2016 stabbing attack by a Palestinian man in Tel Aviv. It aims to cut off funding to the Palestinian Authority unless they cease providing “martyr” stipends to Palestinians in Israeli prisons for attacking Israel or people there.
- “Fix NICS Act” – This is a bipartisan provision designed to encourage more fluid functioning of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. It came under scrutiny when a gunman who had previous court martial convictions killed 26 people at a Texas church. He had purchased weapons after the Air Force failed to register him into a national tracking database.
- The Wall – It provides $1.571 billion in border wall funding, across a variety of initiatives. It's far from what President Trump had sought. Most of it goes to new fencing or replacement fencing in the Rio Grande Valley area. It includes just $38 million for “border barrier planning and design,” i.e. the wall.
- “STOP School Violence Act” – This is a modest provision to increase funds for security training, metal detectors, and other such security-bolstering items at schools.
- Great Lakes restoration – This provides $300 million to cleanup efforts of the Great Lakes, most notably to combat Asian carp, an invasive fish species that could reach the lakes. The Army Corps of Engineers is studying how to erect new barriers or improve existing ones.
- Russian election interference – After the events of 2016, and the dizzying number of positions and analyses of Russia’s role in the election, lawmakers agreed to provide $380 million to the Election Assistance Commission to combat hacking. The FBI, meanwhile, will get a little less to enhance their counterintelligence work.
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