It took way too much yapping from Republicans, plus a vote on a motion to adjourn from Republican Rep. Chip Roy trying to take up extra time, before the House was able to vote on the omnibus bill to fund the government for the rest of the fiscal year. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tried to win over the extremists he needs to get elected speaker in January, spewing out a series of far-right talking points that, in many cases, had little connection to the bill up for a vote. He was joined during the debate on the rule by a parade of the most obnoxious House Republicans ranting against the bill and the general concept of governing. But eventually, following the vote on the rule and that motion to adjourn, both parties cut short the debate on the bill itself and got around to a final vote, passing the bill by 225 to 201, with one member voting present.
Where 18 Senate Republicans voted to fund the government, just nine House Republicans did. All Democrats but two voted yes on the bill, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez voting no and Rep. Rashida Tlaib voting present. As an aside, McCarthy at one point suggested that proxy votes would be coming from Democrats, but plenty of Republicans voted by proxy, presumably having left Washington, D.C., to get home ahead of the winter weather.
RELATED STORY: Senate passes government funding bill. House ready to move quickly
In the debate on the rule before the final vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave what she noted would be her final floor speech as speaker, saying, “It was sad to hear the minority leader earlier say that this legislation is the most shameful thing to be seen on the House floor in this Congress. I can't help but wonder, has he forgotten January 6?”
But, during that debate, House Rules Committee Chair Jim McGovern particularly distinguished himself:
Campaign Action
The bill sure isn’t perfect. For one thing, it clearly shows the imbalance between military funding and funding for literally everything else. It excludes Afghan allies evacuated to the U.S., as well as farmworkers. It expands summer meal assistance for kids, but at the expense of emergency SNAP benefits. But, as McCarthy prepares to take the U.S. economy hostage by refusing the raise the debt limit unless he gets devastating cuts, at least this much will be done. McCarthy and Republicans won’t also get to hold funding for most of the federal government hostage before the debt limit even comes up.
And thanks to this bill, the next Republican coup will be more difficult, with the passage of reforms to the Electoral Count Act. Pregnant workers will get workplace accommodations so they can stay on the job without risking their health. More workers will be guaranteed accommodations so they can pump breast milk for their babies. Ukraine will get billions in aid that House Republicans probably wouldn’t have put forward.
Like so many things these days, it’s flawed and inadequate and filled with compromise—but Democrats got it done while they still had control of the House. We go into 2023 with a slightly stronger Senate majority and with Republicans in disarray. In this era of low expectations, nonetheless, things could be a lot worse.
Where 18 Senate Republicans voted to fund the government, just nine House Republicans did. All Democrats but two voted yes on the bill, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez voting no and Rep. Rashida Tlaib voting present. As an aside, McCarthy at one point suggested that proxy votes would be coming from Democrats, but plenty of Republicans voted by proxy, presumably having left Washington, D.C., to get home ahead of the winter weather.
RELATED STORY: Senate passes government funding bill. House ready to move quickly
In the debate on the rule before the final vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave what she noted would be her final floor speech as speaker, saying, “It was sad to hear the minority leader earlier say that this legislation is the most shameful thing to be seen on the House floor in this Congress. I can't help but wonder, has he forgotten January 6?”
But, during that debate, House Rules Committee Chair Jim McGovern particularly distinguished himself:
Campaign Action
The bill sure isn’t perfect. For one thing, it clearly shows the imbalance between military funding and funding for literally everything else. It excludes Afghan allies evacuated to the U.S., as well as farmworkers. It expands summer meal assistance for kids, but at the expense of emergency SNAP benefits. But, as McCarthy prepares to take the U.S. economy hostage by refusing the raise the debt limit unless he gets devastating cuts, at least this much will be done. McCarthy and Republicans won’t also get to hold funding for most of the federal government hostage before the debt limit even comes up.
And thanks to this bill, the next Republican coup will be more difficult, with the passage of reforms to the Electoral Count Act. Pregnant workers will get workplace accommodations so they can stay on the job without risking their health. More workers will be guaranteed accommodations so they can pump breast milk for their babies. Ukraine will get billions in aid that House Republicans probably wouldn’t have put forward.
Like so many things these days, it’s flawed and inadequate and filled with compromise—but Democrats got it done while they still had control of the House. We go into 2023 with a slightly stronger Senate majority and with Republicans in disarray. In this era of low expectations, nonetheless, things could be a lot worse.