Well..is a theme eh? Senate passes bill. Republicans owned again. Dems win..again:
www.mynbc5.com
The Senate passed a massive $1.7 trillion spending bill Thursday that finances federal agencies through September and provides another large round of aid to Ukraine one day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's dramatic address to a joint meeting of Congress.
The bill, which runs for 4,155 pages, includes about $772.5 billion for domestic programs and $858 billion for defense and would finance federal agencies through the fiscal year at the end of September
The bill passed by a vote of 68-29 and now goes to the House for a final vote before it can be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.
"This is one of the most significant appropriations packages we have done in a very long time," Schumer said. "The range of people it helps is large and deep," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said moments before the vote.
Lawmakers were racing to get the bill approved before a partial government shutdown would occur at midnight Friday, and many were anxious to complete the task before a deep freeze and wintry conditions left them stranded in Washington for the holidays. Many also want to lock in government funding before a new GOP-controlled House next year could make it harder to find a compromise on spending.
Lawmakers were in disagreement over which amendments were to be voted upon to lock in a final vote on an expedited basis. The impasses had the potential to prevent the passage of the bill before the midnight Friday deadline. But negotiations overnight led to a breakthrough and senators gathered early Thursday morning to work through more than a dozen amendments before getting to a final vote.
The spending bill is supported by Schumer and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, though for different reasons.
McConnell cited the bill's 10% boost in defense spending, which he says will give America's Armed Forces the funding and certainty needed to ensure the country's security.
"The world's greatest military will get the funding increase that it needs, outpacing inflation," McConnell said. "Meanwhile, non-defense, non-veterans spending will come in below the rate of inflation, for a real-dollar cut."
McConnell faced pushback from many Republicans who don't support the spending bill and resent being forced to vote on such a massive package with so little time before a potential shutdown and the Christmas holiday.
"There has not been enough time for a single person to have read this entire bill. The bill and process ignores soaring inflation, rising interest rates and our ballooning debt of $31 trillion," said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. "Enough is enough."
For two senators, the bill puts the finishing touches on their work in Washington. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is retiring after serving some 48 years in the Senate and as the current chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He negotiated the bill for months with Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the committee's ranking Republican, who was elected to the Senate in 1986 and is also retiring.
"What a capstone to a brilliant career," Schumer said.
Senate passes $1.7 trillion bill to fund government, aid Ukraine
The Senate has passed a $1.7 trillion bill to finance federal agencies through September, aid Ukraine and provide assistance to communities recovering from hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters.
www.mynbc5.com
The Senate passed a massive $1.7 trillion spending bill Thursday that finances federal agencies through September and provides another large round of aid to Ukraine one day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's dramatic address to a joint meeting of Congress.
The bill, which runs for 4,155 pages, includes about $772.5 billion for domestic programs and $858 billion for defense and would finance federal agencies through the fiscal year at the end of September
The bill passed by a vote of 68-29 and now goes to the House for a final vote before it can be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.
"This is one of the most significant appropriations packages we have done in a very long time," Schumer said. "The range of people it helps is large and deep," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said moments before the vote.
Lawmakers were racing to get the bill approved before a partial government shutdown would occur at midnight Friday, and many were anxious to complete the task before a deep freeze and wintry conditions left them stranded in Washington for the holidays. Many also want to lock in government funding before a new GOP-controlled House next year could make it harder to find a compromise on spending.
Lawmakers were in disagreement over which amendments were to be voted upon to lock in a final vote on an expedited basis. The impasses had the potential to prevent the passage of the bill before the midnight Friday deadline. But negotiations overnight led to a breakthrough and senators gathered early Thursday morning to work through more than a dozen amendments before getting to a final vote.
The spending bill is supported by Schumer and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, though for different reasons.
McConnell cited the bill's 10% boost in defense spending, which he says will give America's Armed Forces the funding and certainty needed to ensure the country's security.
"The world's greatest military will get the funding increase that it needs, outpacing inflation," McConnell said. "Meanwhile, non-defense, non-veterans spending will come in below the rate of inflation, for a real-dollar cut."
McConnell faced pushback from many Republicans who don't support the spending bill and resent being forced to vote on such a massive package with so little time before a potential shutdown and the Christmas holiday.
"There has not been enough time for a single person to have read this entire bill. The bill and process ignores soaring inflation, rising interest rates and our ballooning debt of $31 trillion," said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. "Enough is enough."
For two senators, the bill puts the finishing touches on their work in Washington. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is retiring after serving some 48 years in the Senate and as the current chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He negotiated the bill for months with Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the committee's ranking Republican, who was elected to the Senate in 1986 and is also retiring.
"What a capstone to a brilliant career," Schumer said.
