Lawmakers are rushing to pass a $1.7 trillion “omnibus” spending bill as an expected snowstorm neared the Midwest — as a group of Senate Republicans threatened to play Scrooge by Senate officials were forced to read each page aloud in protest.
Senate Democrats hailed the measure, the final spending bill in their two-year term of unified government control, although it was also achieved in negotiations with Senate Republicans.
“The bill is full of good news,” enthused Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer of New York. He noted to reporters that a “big storm is coming” on Thursday or Friday, so “we’d like to end this as soon as possible.”
Senate Republicans weren’t that keen on rushing, even with a planned holiday break looming.
Utah Senator Mike Lee compared the long omnibus account to the Bible, saying it was almost four times as long to read.
“The Bible is a long book, containing 12,000 pages. And so through [the omnibus bill], read through. what – the Bible is really interesting and full of stories to follow, way more interesting than this one,” Lee said in an odd tangent.
“You would have to read the Bible three and a half times in the same amount of time to understand it.”
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (DN.Y.) gushed about a new $1.7 trillion “omnibus” appropriations bill. He wants the Senate to pass it immediately if a massive storm approaches
Kentucky GOP Senator Rand Paul tweeted a similar sentiment: “I wonder how long it would take the clerk to read this…”
It was a threat to try and use tactics to halt the measure, despite the support of Democrats and a number of Republicans, including retired top Republican Richard Shelby (R-Ala.).
Paul brought stacks of what he said were the 4,155 pages of the bill to a news conference Tuesday.
“Americans don’t want this, they’re fed up with it. They pay for it through the nose with inflation. Adding a trillion dollars to the deficit will simply fuel the fires that are consuming our wages and retirement plan. It’s a terrible system,” the Kentucky Republican said.
Lawmakers have until Friday to act when a short-term government funding bill expires.
The measure includes an increase in defense spending, a ban on TikTok and the largest-ever cash aid to Ukraine.
The TikTok Initiative was a bill introduced by Missouri’s GOP Senator Josh Hawley to ban the China-backed app from government phones. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had the legislation added to the omnibus to demonstrate bipartisan unity against Beijing.
Hawley told that it was “great” that his TikTok ban was included in the omnibus – but told reporters outside the Senate that he would “probably not” vote for the final package.
The bill also earmarks $44.9 billion for Ukraine — well above President Joe Biden’s $37 billion request, with $2.4 billion for refugee assistance and assistance of Ukrainians settling in the USA
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) threatened a delay by hinting at how long it would take for a Senate employee to read the bill before Christmas — and a big storm
The move ensures the embattled nation will have a steady flow of funds for the coming months while raising questions about whether Republicans, who take control of the House of Representatives on Jan. 3, would continue providing financial support.
Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) told the Ukraine number “means we will continue to follow Ukraine’s victory in expelling Putin’s war criminals. That’s the good news.” When asked if it would be harder to get funds once Republicans took control of the House, he replied, “Some of these Republicans in the House are losing patience with this war — it’s pissing me off sick to say those words at all.”
Schumer is rattling from one provision to another as part of the spending deal, which ties together several spending measures weeks into the fiscal year. These include a $500 increase in Pell grants, funding for rural hospitals, the largest dollar increase for the National Science Foundation, and “continuous” health insurance for children after age 18.
“I can’t stop talking about it because it’s so good,” he said.
Lawmakers have been working feverishly to meet Friday’s deadline or face a partial government shutdown over Christmas. The bill, which runs 4,155 pages, was released in detail just before 2 a.m. Tuesday.
This year’s draft budget includes $44.9 billion for Ukraine — the largest ever in aid; above President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits troops in Bakhmut, Donetsk region
The government’s stimulus package also includes a ban on federal employees using TikTok on state-owned devices
On its pages is a ban on federal employees using TikTok on state-owned devices as part of the recent crackdown on the China-developed app.
Americans using the app on their personal devices would not be affected. The White House, the Pentagon, and several other agencies are already banning the app on government devices.
Senate Democratic Chairman Chuck Schumer announced Tuesday that the Senate would begin voting on the package this afternoon. He cited an impending snowstorm as the reason for the rush.
He said he will act quickly and try to get it done before the Friday deadline “because we are aware that there will be a northeast wind blowing down the east coast on Thursday and Friday.”
The massive budget bill — known as the omnibus — includes $800 billion in defense funds, a 9% increase from a year earlier. It also includes $40.6 billion for communities recovering from drought, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, natural disasters and other emergencies.
The package also includes a measure to reform the Electoral Counts Act 1887 – a revision that reaffirms that the vice president has only a ceremonial role in counting Electoral College votes and raises the threshold required for members of Congress to raise objections to raise against the voters of a state.
It is a direct response to Donald Trump’s efforts to persuade Republican lawmakers and Mike Pence to object to confirming Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
Legislators on both sides of the aisle are claiming victories from the provisions contained in the budget.
Members of both parties hailed the inclusion of nearly $119 billion for veteran medical care, a 22 percent increase from last year.
And Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell described the bill as a victory for his party, though many GOP lawmakers will likely vote against it.
He emphasized success in raising defense spending while scaling back some of the increases Biden wanted for domestic spending.
“Congress rejects the Biden administration’s vision and does exactly the opposite,” McConnell said.
McConnell has been under pressure from House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy and some conservatives who want him to delay negotiations until next year, when Republicans control the House — giving them a stronger hand in the negotiations.
McCarthy was not part of the budget talks. And the Democrats in the House of Representatives are expected to pass it easily this week.
But to get the budget through the circuitous Senate legislative process quickly — while hitting the Friday deadline — Senate Democrats need Republican lawmakers on board.
“I’m confident that both sides will find things in it that they can enthusiastically support,” said Chuck Schumer, Senator Majority Leader.
Bowing to the need for 10 Republican votes in the Senate to advance the budget package, Democrats approved the increased defense budget.
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell described the budget bill as a victory for his party, though many GOP lawmakers are likely to vote against it
“I’m confident that both sides will find things in it that they can enthusiastically support,” said Chuck Schumer, Senator Majority Leader
Senate Democrats have also had to abandon a number of their priorities to get the must-pass legislation operational, including reviving lapsed extended payments to most families with children, emergency relief for the COVID pandemic, and an attempt to lower the cap on the The country’s borrowing limit.
However, Democrats announced the first increase in funding for the National Labor Relations Board in over a decade, more funding for clean energy and more funding for affordable housing.
Unveiling of the bill was held up by some domestic disputes over the location of the FBI’s future headquarters.
Powerful Democratic lawmakers in Virginia and Maryland each want the building in their home states, while the agency prepares to leave its downtown Washington DC location for a new home.
In a compromise, each side agreed to language that requires the government to hold detailed consultations with teams from both states before choosing a site, a Senate Democrat adviser told the New York Times.