It’s pretty much a done deal. The House passed a $1.1 trillion dollar omnibus spending bill, and have skipped town for the holidays. The Senate is poised to pass the bill later today. House Democrats were key in getting this piece of legislation over the finish line (via Roll Call):
Legislation to fund government operations through the remainder of fiscal 2016 passed, 316-113, with Democrats shoring up the majority of support but Republicans boasting a significantly larger number than they’ve had on previous catch-all appropriations packages.Conservatives grumbled that Republicans did not extract enough policy wins for the amount of money they planned to spend; progressives expressed frustration that their leaders and the White House were willing to swallow a bill that lifted the decades-long band on crude oil exports and provided no bankruptcy relief for Puerto Rico, which is in deep in a fiscal crisis.
Democratic leaders did not formally whip in favor of the legislation, arguing it was Republicans’ bill and thus the GOP’s responsibility to get it over the finish line.
However, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her top lieutenants sensed Thursday there could be major trouble if Democrats did not come together to help Republicans make their numbers, and went into overdrive to explain to members the consequences of rebuffing the measure.
Pelosi also did not miss an opportunity to restate Democrats’ leverage.
“I don’t think they would have passed it” without Democratic support, Pelosi said of Republicans Friday morning, before the omnibus vote. “If I thought they did, it would have been a different story.”
As the bill heads into the Senate, the publication reported yesterday that there would be no weekend session, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stating that all business relating to the omnibus bill will be finished Friday. No weekend session is happening. Presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) doesn’t seem to be a fan of the legislation, calling for ways to delay it:
“I think if we can add some days to it, the way Sen. Sessions is talking about and maybe some others, that process of slowing it down allows more Americans to wake up to the reality of what’s in the bill, and perhaps as a result demand that their elected representatives do something to make those changes on things like the Syrian refugees,” Rubio said.The Senate generally clears requests for unanimous consent like the one McConnell made Thursday to set up Friday’s expedited vote sequence through a hotline process. That allows any Senate office to contact their respective party cloakroom and notice their intent to object, even if the senators involved are away from the floor.
A senior GOP aide confirmed that the deal for the omnibus votes went through the customary process, meaning all senators decided against taking the procedural steps Rubio was alluding to on Fox News.
Under the agreement, procedural votes will still happen, but they will be lined up to take place ahead of passage on Friday, meaning the smell of jet fumes, and the interest of a weekend on the campaign trail, will win again.
Speaker Ryan was pleased with today’s vote:
Today, the House came together to ensure our government is open and working for the American people. This bipartisan compromise secures meaningful wins for Republicans and the American people, such as the repeal of the outdated, anti-growth ban on oil exports. The legislation strengthens our military and protects Americans from terrorist threats, while limiting the overreach of intrusive government bureaucracies like the IRS and the EPA. I appreciate Chairman Rogers’s leadership and the entire Appropriations Committee for their work in shaping this bill. Congress can now move into 2016 with a fresh start and a plan to return to regular order in order to better protect taxpayer dollars.”
The speaker’s weekly press briefing, he reiterated his commitment to a return to “regular order” regarding the legislative process, especially concering appropriations bills.
He went on to say how the spending bill has “some big wins” for the country, including, as previously mentioned, the lift on the oil export ban, more military spending, a tax bill, and better health care for 9/11 first responders. He also added that the spending bill “rein in the IRS and it stops the EPA overreach.” He also promised an Obamacare repeal vote when they return to session in January that would also defund Planned Parenthood. He added that the 2016 session would see the House Republicans become a “proposition party”:
In 2016, we are going to be a proposition party. As I told our members this week, I didn’t become speaker to sit in a room and make big decisions on big bills. I became speaker to give us a horizon to shoot for—to lift our gaze so that we can show the American people, who we are, and what we believe, and what we’re going to do to solve their problems. That’s why our top goal in 2016 is going to be to put together a bold, pro-growth agenda for the country.
Concerning the tax bill, it was passed yesterday by a 318-109 vote. Since it was being merged with today’s spending bill, it was largely seen as a test vote as to whether this omnibus bill could be passed at all. Democrats split on the measure, with 109 voting against the $680 billion tax cut legislation, while 77 joined the Republican conference.
Source: Townhall
