The House of Representatives started the ball rolling to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year in September. The resulting omnibus funding bill costs $460 billion and secures policy priorities for both parties, resulting in win-win legislation that overwhelmingly passed the House under a truncated procedural rule requiring a two-thirds majority to pass. The successful passage of this bill forecasts future methods the House can use to pass legislation– forsaking the extremes of both parties and seeking agreement or at least horse-trading among the more moderate members.
$460 billion Funding Package for Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Interior, Transportation
After narrowly averting a government shutdown March 2, the House of Representatives passed a longer term $460 billion funding package to fund a large portion of the government through the end of the fiscal year in September. This bill funds the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, and others. A second Omnibus will be forthcoming to fund the other agencies and departments not covered until this first bill. The bill passed with support from 207 Democrats and 132 Republicans, with 2 Democrats and 83 Republicans voting against.
Non-Defense Spending Remains Level, Cuts to EPA, BATF, and FBI
n-defense spending levels remain relatively the same as last year, while the Environmental Protection Agency receives a 10% cut, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives receives a 7% cut, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations has a 6% cut.
Conservative Freedom Caucus Opposed Omnibus
The most conservative faction of the House Republican Majority, the Freedom Caucus, was disconcerted with the spending bill, stating “Despite giving Democrats higher spending levels, the omnibus text released so far punts on nearly every single Republican policy priority.” The House Freedom Caucus urged its dozens of members to oppose the spending bills. Under regular order, the defection of the Freedom Caucus from the Republican-led bill would lead to its demise. However, by bringing the bill to a vote under “suspension of the rules,” the bill passed with substantial bipartisan support.
Speaker Johnson’s “Realistic” Approach To Funding Bills
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) emphasized to Members the need to be “realistic” as Republicans maintain only a two-vote majority in the House of Representatives, and the Democrats control the Senate and the White House. The omnibus, putting multiple funding bills up for a vote together, allows Congressional leaders to find win-win scenarios for both parties. This is a common procedure used to pass longer term fiscal year funding legislation rather than going from fiscal cliff to fiscal cliff facing the brink of shutdown at each juncture.
Omnibus Provides Insight into Party Priorities
Funding bills such as the one just passed by the House of Representatives also provide insight into top priorities for each party and reveal the fault lines within parties as well. Industry groups, outside interest groups, and constituents can take note on how particular members vote on particular topics, called riders, which are policy-focused insertions into the budget.
Democrat ‘Wins’ In Omnibus
In terms of Democratic priorities, Democrats defeated a Republican attempt to block expansion of abortion pill mifepristone, while also securing their priority to fund the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) supplemental food assistance program. This program got a boost of $1 million from last year, for a total of $7 billion this fiscal year.
Democratic Defeat of SNAP Food Restrictions
Democrats were also successful in defeating a Republican-led effort to restrict the foods individuals receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are able to purchase. Republicans had been pushing for the program to focus on nutritious foods rather than allowing purchase of soda, chips, and snacks with SNAP dollars.
Republican ‘Wins’
Republican priorities were also represented in the bill, such as a prohibition on selling oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. They also succeeded in prohibiting the Department of Justice from investigating parents who speak out at local school board meetings.
Republicans Address Gun Rights for Veterans
Finally, the omnibus increases the gun rights of certain veterans. Specifically, the bill prohibits the Department of Veterans affairs from disclosing information on servicemen to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which they previously had done routinely if a veteran was deemed incapable of managing their own affairs, due to dementia or serious mental illness for example. Republicans claimed some veterans were choosing not to seek out earned benefits and healthcare because they were concerned about being refused their second amendment rights.
Senate to Deliberate on Legislation
With the House having done its part, the focus now shifts to the Senate. The Senate and House will have to agree to identical funding bills. The path is easier now that the House passed its bill with considerable bipartisan support.
Next Spending Bills in Works
In parallel to this development, lawmakers are engaged in negotiations over an additional set of six bills, which include provisions for defense spending. The objective is clear: to ensure that all federal agencies are adequately funded by March 22, aiming for a total discretionary spending of approximately $1.66 trillion for the entire fiscal year.
Opposition and Strategy
The passage of the funding package was not without its challenges. A significant number of House Republicans voiced their opposition, leading to a strategic move by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. To navigate through the opposition, Johnson employed a rapid legislative process that required a two-thirds majority for the bill to pass.
Spending Levels and Cuts
This year’s funding levels for non-defense initiatives have been maintained relatively stable compared to the previous year. Advocates for the package argue that such fiscal discipline forces government agencies to prioritize and operate more efficiently. Speaker Johnson highlighted several budget cuts, including significant reductions to the Environmental Protection Agency and other key agencies.
Criticism of the Legislative Process
The approval of these funding bills, significantly delayed into the fiscal year, attracted criticism regarding the legislative process. Some lawmakers argue that the process has not seen meaningful improvement, despite claims to the contrary.
Broad Support and Future Outlook
Despite the controversies and challenges, the package received broad support from Democrats, with the party leadership lauding their role in securing the passage of the bill. As the legislative process moves forward, the focus remains on achieving fiscal responsibility while ensuring the government’s ability to serve the American people.
