Article snippet: The House passed a two-year budget deal Thursday that lifts the debt ceiling and boosts government spending by $320 billion. The legislation would suspend the debt limit through July 2021 and increase spending caps for the next two years, putting the U.S. on track to add an estimated $1.7 trillion to the deficit over the next decade when compared with the billions in automatic spending cuts that would otherwise kick in. Lawmakers passed the package in a 284-149 vote. Sixty-five Republicans voted for the measure, and 16 Democrats voted against it. The legislation now heads to the Senate, which is expected to pass it next week before senators leave town for the August recess. The bill’s passage comes just days after MORE (D-Calif.) and other congressional leaders. The legislation would ramp up defense spending to $738 billion and $740 billion over the next two fiscal years, respectively, compared with the current level of $716 billion. Nondefense spending would rise to $632 billion and $634.5 billion during the same period, an increase from this year’s $605 billion. But the spending increases drew criticism from conservatives who blasted what they called a lack of fiscal restraint. Trump, whose initial budget proposal called for a 10 percent cut to nondefense spending while supercharging defense, tried to give conservative lawmakers political cover by reiterating his support for the deal in a Thursday morning tweet. “House Republicans should support the TWO YEAR BU... Link to the full article to read more