If House Republicans can pass the government funding bill, aka Continuing Resolution (CR), introduced by Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rodgers, R-Ky., yesterday, they will have positioned themselves well for a surprise victory over President Obama in the latest government spending showdown.

The CR, which is scheduled to be voted on Thursday, would spend $982 billion trough September, thus honoring the sequestration agreement Republicans struck with Obama in 2011. However, the CR also changes current law to make sequestration less harmful to the nation’s national and border security. For example, billions are taken from Pentagon equipment procurement and research and development and moved into current Defense Department operations and maintenance. A pay raise for federal employees that Obama had ordered to begin in April is rescinded while more money is given to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You can read a full list of protected defense and border priorities here.