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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer during a bill enrollment ceremony for the Respect For Marriage Act at the U.S. Capitol Dec. 8. Both lawmakers supported the omnibus spending bill. (Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The House of Representatives voted 225 to 201 to pass the $1.85 trillion omnibus spending bill on Friday afternoon.
This comes a day after the Senate voted 68-29 for the legislation, meaning that the bill will end up on President Joe Biden’s desk for passage.
Nine Republicans voted in favor of the omnibus bill and one Democrat, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., voted “no.”
The Republicans who voted in favor were Reps. John Katko, R-N.Y.; Chris Jacobs, R-N.Y.; Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.; Fred Upton, R-Mich.; Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.; Rodney Davis, R-Ill.; Steve Womack, R-Ark.; Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash.; and Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.
Heritage Foundation policy analysts have criticized the omnibus spending bill as a “vast collection of special-interest handouts and fuel for the fires of inflation and the woke, leftist establishment” and warned that it “will stifle our economy and accelerate the dissolution of the fabric of our civil society for many years to come.” (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.)
It was also unprecedented in recent history that an outgoing Congress passed such a large spending bill. Since 1994, the House majority has changed four times. In each case, the outgoing majority didn’t pass an omnibus appropriations bill during the lame-duck session following the election. Instead, the outgoing majority left the hard work of legislating to the representatives the American people had just elected.
Critics note that the omnibus spending package contains 6,825 pages: 4,155 pages of legislative text plus 2,670 pages of explanatory materials to instruct agencies on how to carry out the provisions. It also includes at least 4,000 earmarks to pay for the pet projects of senators and representatives.
“With this vote, these Republican senators have committed a stunning act of betrayal of their constituents and the American people,” Richard Stern, a senior policy analyst for budget policy at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily SignalThursday about the Senate vote. “With less than two weeks until the new Congress, they have shamefully voted to deny the incoming conservative House majority the use of its power of the purse to rein in Biden and his cronies.”
“This omnibus will add to inflationary pressures, saddling the nation with at least another $20,000 per household in needless debt and will expand the power of the woke Left,” Stern added.
In a lengthy speech House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., spoke about why he was voting against the omnibus bill.
“This is a monstrosity. That is one of the most shameful acts I’ve ever seen in his body,” McCarthy said on the House floor. “The appropriations process has failed the American public, and there’s no greater example of the nail in the coffin of the greatest failure of a one-party rule of the House, the Senate and the presidency.”
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who has been highly critical of the omnibus bill and the process that has led to its passage, noted that there were 226 proxy votes cast for the bill and said that the House lacked a physical quorum as required by the constitution.
“Everything the American people is watching right now is a complete sham, it’s a fraud … the American people deserve us to be here over Christmas actually fighting for them,” Roy said.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Katrina Trinko and Tyler O’Neil contributed to this report.
Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email letters@DailySignal.com and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.
January 31, 2021
President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
The federal government debt is growing so much that it is endangering us because if things keep going like they are now we will not have any money left for the national defense because we are so far in debt as a nation. We have been spending so much on our welfare state through food stamps and other programs that I am worrying that many of our citizens are becoming more dependent on government and in many cases they are losing their incentive to work hard because of the welfare trap the government has put in place. Other nations in Europe have gone down this road and we see what mess this has gotten them in. People really are losing their faith in big government and they want more liberty back. It seems to me we have to get back to the founding principles that made our country great. We also need to realize that a big government will encourage waste and corruption. The recent scandals in our government have proved my point. In fact, the jokes you made at Ohio State about possibly auditing them are not so funny now that reality shows how the IRS was acting more like a monster out of control. Also raising taxes on the job creators is a very bad idea too. The Laffer Curve clearly demonstrates that when the tax rates are raised many individuals will move their investments to places where they will not get taxed as much.
______________________
17 Reasons the large national debt is a big deal!!!
We got to stop spending so much money and start paying off our national debt or the future of our children and grandchildren will be very sad indeed. Everyone knows that entitlement spending must be cut but it seems we are not brave enough to do it. I have contacted my Congressmen and Senators over and over but nothing is getting done!!! At least there are 66 conservative Republicans in the House that have stood up and voted against raising the debt ceiling.
June 17, 2013 at 7:13 am
Remember the debt? That $17 trillion problem? Some in Washington seem to think it’s gone away.
The Washington Post reported that “the national debt is no longer growing out of control.” Lawmakers and liberal inside-the-Beltway organizations are floating the notion that it’s not a high priority any more.
We beg to differ, so we came up with 17 reasons that $17 trillion in debt is still a big, bad deal.
1. $53,769 – Your share of the national debt.
As Washington continues to spend more than it can afford, every American will be on the hook for this massive debt burden.
SHARE this graphic.
2. Personal income will be lower.
The skyrocketing debt could cause families to lose up to $11,000 on their income every year. That’s enough to send the kids to a state college or move to a nicer neighborhood.
3. Fewer jobs and lower salaries.
High government spending with no accountability eliminates opportunities for career advancement, paralyzes job creation, and lowers wages and salaries.
4. Higher interest rates.
Some families and businesses won’t be able to borrow money because of high interest rates on mortgages, car loans, and more – the dream of starting a business could be out of reach.
5. High debt and high spending won’t help the economy.
Journalists should check with both sides before committing pen to paper, especially those at respectable outlets like The Washington Post and The New York Times. A $17 trillion debt only hurts the economy.
6. What economic growth?
High-debt economies similar to America’s current state grew by one-third less than their low-debt counterparts.
7. Eventually, someone has to pay the nation’s $17 trillion credit card bill, and Washington has nominated your family.
It’s wildly irresponsible to never reduce expenses, yet Washington continues to spend, refusing to acknowledge the repercussions.
>>>Watch this video to see how scary $17 trillion really is for your family.
8. Jeopardizes the stability of Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid.
Millions of people depend on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, but these programs are also the main drivers of the growing debt. Congress has yet to take the steps needed to make these programs affordable and sustainable to preserve benefits for those who need them the most.
9. Washington collects a lot, and then spends a ton. Where are your tax dollars going?
In 2012, Washington collected $2.4 trillion in taxes—more than $20,000 per household. But it wasn’t enough for Washington’s spending habits. The federal government actually spent $3.5 trillion.
>>> Reality check: See where your tax dollars really went.
10. Young people face a diminished future.
College students from all over the country got together in February at a “Millennial Meetup” to talk about how the national debt impacts their generation.
>>>Shorter version: They’re not happy. Watch now.
11. Without cutting spending and reducing the debt, big-government corruption and special interests only get bigger.
The national debt is an uphill battle in a city where politicians too often refuse to relinquish power, to the detriment of America.
12. Harmful effects are permanent.
Astronomical debt lowers incomes and well-being permanently, not just temporarily. A one-time major increase in government debt is typically a permanent addition, and the dragging effects on the economy are long-lasting.
13. The biggest threat to U.S. security.
Even President Obama’s former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff thinks so:
SHARE this graphic.
14. Makes us more vulnerable to the next economic crisis.
According to the Congressional Budget Office’s 2012 Long-Term Budget Outlook, “growing federal debt also would increase the probability of a sudden fiscal crisis.”
15. Washington racked up $300 billion in more debt in less than four months.
Our nation is on a dangerous fiscal course, and it’s time for lawmakers to steer us out of the coming debt storm.
16. High debt makes America weaker.
Even Britain’s Liam Fox warns America: Fix the debt problem now, or suffer the consequences of less power on the world stage.
17. High debt crowds out the valuable functions of government.
By disregarding the limits on government in the Constitution, Congress thwarts the foundation of our freedoms.
Read the Morning Bell and more en español every day at Heritage Libertad.
_____________
Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your commitment as a father and a husband.
Sincerely,
Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733,
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By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Edit | Comments (0)
The Daily Hatch 