WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic chairwoman of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee moved aggressively Thursday to use accounting tricks to fill in an unexpected $4 billion gap in the budget.

The maneuver by Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., allowed for additional funding for transportation and housing programs, increases in the IRS budget, and maintaining funding levels in a huge bill for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. But it was met with opposition from panel Republicans who said it violated the spirit of last year’s hard-won budget deal.

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