An anti-gun group applauded the GOP approved $1.8 trillion end-of-the-year spending bill and tax package Saturday, claiming that it will boost gun control efforts and expand background checks.

"The final version of the funding bill demonstrates the steady progress we are seeing to reduce gun violence in this country," said Everytown for Gun Safety.

The group said increased law enforcement spending will help limit gun violence, President Obama's top agenda item in his last year in office.

Everytown is backed by Bloomberg, who started Mayors Against Illegal Guns while mayor of New York.

In a Saturday statement Everytown praised increased funding for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It also cheered the removal of a proposal to sell surplus military guns.

But also called for more gun control: "There is still much more to be done including removing the long standing ban on federal funding for research on gun violence as well as closing the background check and terror gap loopholes. Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action will continue to fight for these critical priorities."

The full statement is below:

EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT SIGNING FISCAL YEAR 2016 OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL

Applauds Congress for $73 Million in Funding for Firearm Background Check System, and $39 Million Increase for ATF

NEW YORK CITY — Following President Obama's signature of the Fiscal Year 2016 omnibus spending bill, Everytown for Gun Safety released the statement below from President John Feinblatt on gun safety related provisions.

"The final version of the funding bill demonstrates the steady progress we are seeing to reduce gun violence in this country. We applaud Congress' funding of $73 million in state grants to improve records in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) which is critical to keeping dangerous individuals from purchasing or possessing firearms. Since Everytown published the first report highlighting the problem, mental health records submitted by states have tripled; the number of background check denials to people with dangerous mental illness have increased by ten times in the last decade. And although the number of bad performing states is shrinking, fatal gaps remain. Federal funding at this historically high level will continue to help failing states get their records into the system."

"Additionally, we are pleased to see $39 million in increased funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and a $163 million increase for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The agencies' ability to keep our communities safe will be bolstered by these much needed resources. The final omnibus also rejected two riders passed by the House that would have hamstrung the ATF, leaving open a loophole that allows criminals to buy machine guns and canceling a program that works to break up trafficking rings on our southwest border."

"This legislation comes on the heels of the November enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act, in which legislators rejected dangerous House language that would have enabled the Citizen Marksmanship Program (CMP) to sell military handguns with no-in person background check and no record kept. Instead, the final bill added background checks and record keeping requirements for the CMP, and represents another small step taken in Washington to promote gun safety."

"Although we are pleased with this increase of funding for gun safety priorities, and the new background check requirements for CMP sales, we cannot rest on these actions alone – there is still much more to be done including removing the long standing ban on federal funding for research on gun violence as well as closing the background check and terror gap loopholes. Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action will continue to fight for these critical priorities."

Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com.