House Passes $460 Billion Spending Bill; Senate Expected to Act Ahead of Shutdown Deadline
Image credit: The New Yorker
On the Wednesday 6th, the House of Representatives approved a $460 billion package of spending bills, aimed at ensuring the continued funding of crucial federal agencies throughout the remainder of the budget year. Anticipation now turns to the Senate, where lawmakers are expected to take up the legislation before the looming midnight Friday shutdown deadline.
The passage of this comprehensive spending package marks a significant step in ongoing negotiations, with lawmakers currently engaged in discussions over a second package comprising six additional bills, including defense funding. The objective is to secure full funding for all federal agencies before the March 22 deadline, with the total discretionary spending set to reach approximately $1.66 trillion for the entire fiscal year.
However, the path to approval faced notable opposition from a considerable faction of House Republicans, prompting House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to resort to an expedited process to bring the bill to a vote. Under this process, a two-thirds majority vote was required for passage, ultimately achieved with a vote count of 339-85.
Critics within the Republican ranks expressed dissatisfaction with the spending packages, advocating for more substantial cuts and policy victories. The House Freedom Caucus, representing a conservative bloc within the GOP, urged members to reject both the current and forthcoming spending packages, citing perceived deficiencies in addressing Republican policy priorities.
House Speaker Johnson defended the compromise, highlighting the delicate balance of power within Congress, where Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House while Democrats control the Senate and the White House. He emphasized the need for pragmatic decision-making in the face of these political realities.
Democrats successfully thwarted most of the policy riders proposed by House Republicans, including efforts to curtail access to abortion medication and impose restrictions on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bill also allocates increased funding to vital programs such as the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program, receiving bipartisan support.
However, House Republicans secured several policy victories, including provisions to prohibit the sale of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China and safeguard free speech rights at local school board meetings. Additionally, a measure enhancing gun rights for certain veterans garnered support, eliciting concerns from some Democrats about its potential implications for public safety.
Critics of the bill, such as Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., remain skeptical about the extent of procedural reforms, suggesting that fundamental issues regarding government spending remain unaddressed. Despite such reservations, the bill’s passage underscores bipartisan efforts to avert a government shutdown and ensure the continued operation of federal agencies.
As the Senate prepares to deliberate on the spending package, the focus shifts to securing bipartisan consensus and averting potential disruptions to government services. With time running short before the shutdown deadline, lawmakers face mounting pressure to reach a swift resolution and uphold their fiscal responsibilities to the American people.
As reported by AP News in their recent article
