Senate Passes Omnibus Spending Bill Funding Government Through Most of Next Year with 14 Republicans joining Democrats in passage

Fantine · Dec 22, 2022

But that isn't the best part. The best part is that the Electoral Count Act was reformed in the bill so that a vice-president cannot unilaterally decide an election. I am heartened that 14 Republicans had the integrity to secure our elections and prevent further insurrections (including, to my utter shock, my own state's Senators.) There is also more assistance to Ukraine to stop Russia's imperialistic empire building in its tracks.

Since the House still holds its Democratic majority, it will sail through and be signed by the president, insuring that 2023 won't be marred by House Republicans threatening to shut down the government if draconian cuts aren't made to Social Security, etc.

What a wonderful Christmas present--to see our government working effectively together.

MSN

The Senate on Thursday passed a nearly $1.7 trillion "omnibus" spending bill to fund the government through most of next year, with 18 Republican senators joining all Democrats in sending the bill to the House, where it's expected to pass on Friday.

It came amid a showdown among Republicans over the sweeping legislation, which also includes reforms to the Electoral Count Act designed, among other things, to ensure that a vice president cannot unilaterally decide a presidential election. It also contains tens of billions of dollars in new funding for Ukraine.

essentialsaltes · Dec 22, 2022

Fantine said:
I am heartened that 14 Republicans had the integrity to secure our elections and prevent further insurrections (including, to my utter shock, my own state's Senators.)

18 GOP Senators in all voted for it. 4 are leaving office. But let's give the remaining 14 some acknowledgement:

McConnell of Kentucky
Collins of Maine
Romney of Utah
Graham of SC
Murkowski of Alaska
Cornyn of Texas
Thune of SD
Cotton of Arkansas
Young of Indiana
Moore Capito of WV
Boozman of Arkansas
Moran of Kansas
Rounds of SD
Wicker of Mississippi

mark46 · Dec 22, 2022

Fantine said:
But that isn't the best part. The best part is that the Electoral Count Act was reformed in the bill so that a vice-president cannot unilaterally decide an election. I am heartened that 14 Republicans had the integrity to secure our elections and prevent further insurrections (including, to my utter shock, my own state's Senators.) There is also more assistance to Ukraine to stop Russia's imperialistic empire building in its tracks.

Since the House still holds its Democratic majority, it will sail through and be signed by the president, insuring that 2023 won't be marred by House Republicans threatening to shut down the government if draconian cuts aren't made to Social Security, etc.

What a wonderful Christmas present--to see our government working effectively together.

MSN

This a huge failure for the far right who want to send the spending bill to the next Congress while closing down the government.

Again, as many times since the Biden's election, the country can thank a few Senate Republicans. For me, the surprise was Graham.

This law authorizes payment for the government through September 30th. The debt limit will be an issue at the same time. It does so much more than wouldn't have happened if the country needed to count on the House Republicans.

Some of the bills that were rolled into to this new law include:
1) The Electoral Count Act (as the OP noted)
2) Ukraine aid (as the OP noted)
3) the Tik Tok bill covering federal employees
4) bill that gave workplace protections for pregnant workers, and for breastfeeding workers (these were two separate bills)
5) significant expansion of the opportunity to put away money for retirement
6) further sanctions of Russian oligarchs, allowing the seizure of their back accounts to pay for Ukraine rebuilding
7) more money of injured 911 first responders
8) aid for poor children during the summer (presumably to partially replace food given in schools)

Fantine · Dec 22, 2022

Thanks for the additional information. It didn't do anything for the dreamers, unfortunately.

I don't think that increasing funding and enforcement to secure the border in return for giving young people who have lived here since early childhood an opportunity for citizenship is a bad tradeoff.

Many of the "dreamers" are working successfully in numerous careers that are needed--as medical professionals and technicians, educators, entrepreneurs, skilled tradespeople, etc. They are almost all completely bilingual--a tremendous advantage both in business and the service industry.

mark46 · Dec 22, 2022

Fantine said:
Thanks for the additional information. It didn't do anything for the dreamers, unfortunately.

I don't think that increasing funding and enforcement to secure the border in return for giving young people who have lived here since early childhood an opportunity for citizenship is a bad tradeoff.

Many of the "dreamers" are working successfully in numerous careers that are needed--as medical professionals and technicians, educators, entrepreneurs, skilled tradespeople, etc. They are almost all completely bilingual--a tremendous advantage both in business and the service industry.

Yes, there should be a new law that gives legal status to Dreamers and authorizes more money for border security, and also including the equivalent of Rule 42. There also needs to be a way to allow in more needed documented workers.

There also should be a re-instatement of the increase to the child tax credit.

But we're done until September, given a House Speaker who will cooperate on no legislation. The Speaker's arm will be twisted In September or there will be a government shutdown and a government default on the US debt. He will be "convinced" to put a compromise bill on the floor, after which many Republicans will vote for a compromise agreed to in the Senate. But that is a long, long time in the future.

Postvieww · Dec 23, 2022

This bill is a travesty. Printing money they don’t have to hasten bankruptcy for this nation. Maybe all if those that think this is a good and noble bill should write a check to the treasury and help support what you believe in.

Fantine · Dec 23, 2022

What is needed is a rescinding of the 2017 Trump tax cuts--completely unnecessary giveaways to people and corporations who didn't need them.

And a reminder: the red ink in Trump's years in office is significantly higher than Biden's. As a matter of fact, many parts of the infrastructure and inflation reduction acts are paid for--or will pay for themselves.

NxNW · Dec 23, 2022

Postvieww said:
This bill is a travesty. Printing money they don’t have to hasten bankruptcy for this nation. Maybe all if those that think this is a good and noble bill should write a check to the treasury and help support what you believe in.

Ronald Reagan proved that deficits don't matter.

Vylo · Dec 23, 2022

Postvieww said:
This bill is a travesty. Printing money they don’t have to hasten bankruptcy for this nation. Maybe all if those that think this is a good and noble bill should write a check to the treasury and help support what you believe in.

We don't print money to pay for this, and these spending bills are passed all the time. It does things like fund the military.

mark46 · Dec 23, 2022

Postvieww said:
This bill is a travesty. Printing money they don’t have to hasten bankruptcy for this nation. Maybe all if those that think this is a good and noble bill should write a check to the treasury and help support what you believe in.

Please post the deficits for the Trump years, the Biden years, and the CBO projections for the future.

It was Trump that printed money, and Biden that partially paid for spending by a very large tax increase in thos corporations that previously paid nothing, increasing their taxes to a minimum of 15%.
===========
What few understand is that the idea is a goofy one. The government doesn't distinguish between capital spending for the future and payment of current spending obligations.

Charging infrastructure or military hardware to the current year make little sense.

That is why the analysis must go out at least 5 years; ten would be better.
=========

essentialsaltes · Dec 23, 2022

Postvieww said:
Maybe all if those that think this is a good and noble bill should write a check to the treasury and help support what you believe in.

Every April.

Postvieww · Dec 24, 2022

NxNW said:
Ronald Reagan proved that deficits don't matter.

Try using that theory in your household and see what happens.

Postvieww · Dec 24, 2022

essentialsaltes said:
Every April.

That is what is required. Support your belief system with extra giving that is the noble thing to do right?

Postvieww · Dec 24, 2022

Vylo said:
We don't print money to pay for this, and these spending bills are passed all the time. It does things like fund the military.

Can I buy your house with the system you have just supported?

Postvieww · Dec 24, 2022

mark46 said:
Please post the deficits for the Trump years, the Biden years, and the CBO projections for the future.

Care to discuss the effects of Covid, and shut downs on the Trump deficit?

NxNW · Dec 24, 2022

NxNW said:
Ronald Reagan proved that deficits don't matter.

Postvieww said:
Try using that theory in your household and see what happens.

I'm just quoting the Republican position on this matter.

Postvieww · Dec 24, 2022

From the linked article:
“Harmful provisions of the omnibus:

Provides $1.563 billion for CBP "border management" but does not allow using those funds to hire permanent border security officers, deport illegal aliens (only allows transportation to American communities), or expand border security technologies and capabilities unless it is for improving the processing of illegal aliens. This is not "border management," it is $1.563 billion to essentially convert CBP into a federal travel agency for illegal aliens.”

Omnibus Spending Bill Does Not Secure the Border, but Further Incentivizes and Enables Illegal Immigration, Charges FAIR

Postvieww · Dec 24, 2022

NxNW said:
I'm just quoting the Republican position on this matter.

A few Republicans voted for this mess of a bill but I doubt very seriously they had much of a say in writing it.

Semper-Fi · Dec 24, 2022

"The best part is that the Electoral Count Act was reformed in the
bill so that a vice-president cannot unilaterally decide an election."

President Trump was right, a vice-president had by law a legal right to say
something about the election. Changing the law now shows this to be true.

The act closes a legal loophole that the Trump team tried to use to prevent the
certification of the 2020 election; a legal avenue Democrats continue to argue was “illegal.”
-

The spending package pours money into border security for other nations,
but provides virtually nothing for America’s own border security.

Postvieww · Dec 24, 2022

Semper-Fi said:
The spending package pours money into border security for other nations
but provides virtually nothing for America’s own border security.

You rightly point out just one more liberal failure that has nothing to do with keeping the government open or helping the American people.

Senate Passes Omnibus Spending Bill Funding Government Through Most of Next Year with 14 Republicans joining Democrats in passage

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