Congress has passed a spending bill that includes aid to Flint, Mich., nearly two years after the water there first became lead-tainted—and they’ve avoided a government shutdown in the process. While it seemed like lawmakers might go right up to the Friday deadline for a shutdown, they managed to come to agreement, probably because they all want to focus on the election that’s now only 39 days away.
Senate Democrats had previously shot down a stopgap spending bill Tuesday afternoon after it failed to include money for Flint.
The House eventually agreed to amend the Water Resources Development Act, sending $170 million in spending to communities in a state of emergency due to water contaminants like lead, according to The New York Times.
However, the deal isn’t totally figured out yet, and that’s what made some Democrats unhappy with the bill. There still has to be a meeting about exactly how much money will be sent to Flint, and if it would be specifically set aside or “simply authorized,” the Times reports. And unfortunately, that meeting won’t even happen until after the election. Like the saying goes, the wheels of justice turn slowly—very slowly.
Other pieces of the spending bill include $1.1 billion to fight the Zika virus, and $500 million for aid in states that have experienced flooding, like Louisiana, according to CNN.