House passes $460 billion package of spending bills. Senate expected to act before shutdown deadline
The House approved a package of $460 billion in spending bills on Wednesday, which would ensure that money continues to flow to important federal agencies for the rest of the fiscal year. The Senate will likely take up the bill before Friday’s midnight deadline.
The second package of six bills includes defense in an attempt to fully fund all federal agencies before the March 22 deadline. The total discretionary budget set by Congress for the entire year is expected to be around $1.66 trillion.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La) was forced to use a streamlined process to put the bill to a vote after a significant number of Republicans came out against the spending packages. This process requires that two-thirds (or more) of the House vote in favor of the measure to make it pass.
The House approved the measure with a 339-85 vote.
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Nondefense spending is flat in the bills for this year compared to last year. Supporters claim that keeping spending below inflation rates is equivalent to a reduction, as it forces agencies to focus on their top priorities and be more frugal. Johnson mentioned a 10% reduction to the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as a 7% reduction to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and an 6% decrease to the FBI.
Many Republican legislators wanted more drastic cuts and policy victories. The House Freedom Caucus – which includes dozens of conservative Republicans – urged Republicans not to support the first spending package, but rather oppose the second being negotiated.
The group stated that “despite giving Democrats higher spending levels the omnibus document released so far punts nearly every single Republican priority.”
Johnson countered by saying that the House Republicans only have a two vote majority, while Democrats control both the Senate and the White House.
Johnson stated that “we have to be realistic” about what we can achieve.
Democrats defeated most of the policy riders House Republicans wanted to include in the package. They defeated an attempt to block new regulations that would expand access to the abortifacient mifepristone.
Democrats said that the bill will fully fund the WIC nutrition program, which is a program for women, children and infants with low income. The program receives about $7 billion. This is a $1 billion boost from last year.
In the course of these negotiations, House Republicans pushed for a provision that would allow a select few states to prohibit the purchase of unhealthy food such as sugary drinks or snacks under the food stamps program, SNAP. The GOP’s attempt was not successful, but supporters claim they will try again next year in the spending bills.
Rosa DeLauro is the highest ranking Democrat in the House Appropriations Committee. She said, “The bill may not have all that we wanted, but we are very proud to have defeated the vast majority extreme cuts and hundreds harmful policy riders proposed from the House Republicans.”
The House Republicans did achieve some policy victories, though. For example, one provision will prevent the sale to China of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. A second policy mandate prevents the Justice Department investigating parents who exercise their right to free speech at local board meetings.
A new provision enhances the gun rights of certain veterans.
According to current law, if a fiduciary has been appointed to help someone manage their benefits due to a lack of mental capacity, the Department of Veterans Affairs is required to send the beneficiary’s information to the FBI National Instant Criminal Background check System. The spending package for this year prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from sending that information to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System unless the relevant judicial authority determines that the beneficiary poses a threat to themselves or others.
Rep. Mark Takano is the top Democrat in the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. He said that a VA finding of mental disability is usually based on “very severe mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and dementia.”
Takano stated, “They wanted to ensure that veterans who were vulnerable could have access to more firearms.” This is wrong. The lives of veterans are at stake. “The lives of veterans are at stake, and I won’t agree to any legislation that would cause more lives to be lost due to gun violence.”
Republicans claim that the current VA policy discourages some veterans from claiming benefits and care they deserve.
Johnson read from an article about Democrats’ “heartburn” over the gun provision in a closed-door session with the House GOP. This was done to demonstrate that Republicans had won some policy victories during the negotiations.
Budget year begins Oct. 1, and the bills for funding federal agencies are over five months late. House Republicans describe an improved process, claiming they have still broken the cycle where all spending bills are passed in one huge package and lawmakers have very little time to review it before voting on it.
The critics, like Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), dismissed the changes that the bill brought about.
The first package includes the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Agriculture, Interior and Transportation.
Democrats supported the bill overwhelmingly, with 207 votes in favor and only two against. Republicans voted 132 to 83.
Hakeem Jeffreys, the House Democratic Leader said: “Once more, Democrats have protected the American public and delivered the overwhelming number of votes needed to get things done.”
Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Oklahoma) said that he was against the bill, because “I have been very clear about this since I came here.” We need to control our spending and we have lost the leverage.
