Not an American. One thing I don't understand is how a non essential/time-critical bill like this is allowed to be put alongside critical funding related matter? For that matter how multiple completely independent laws are passed by a same vote?
If group A wants a policy that B doesn't want, and B wants a policy that A doesn't want, then combining those policies into one law is an easy and reliable way to compromise. You know that the whole bill will either pass, or it won't -- Congress votes on entire bills rather than parts of it, and the president doesn't have line-item veto power.