Congress passes $1.66 trillion funding bill, to be signed by Biden

On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a comprehensive $1.66 trillion government funding bill that provides a range of funding and resources for military, education, transportation, housing, and other programs. The bill, which was passed on a largely party-line vote of 225–201, includes record military funding and emergency aid to Ukraine, as well as additional aid for students with disabilities, funding to protect workers’ rights, and job-training resources.

It also includes provisions for affordable housing for families, veterans, and those fleeing domestic violence. The bill, which covers the fiscal year ending September 30, was passed by the Senate the previous day on a bipartisan vote of 68–29, with the support of 18 of the 50 Senate Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Despite the bipartisan support in the Senate, the funding bill faced strong opposition from House Republican conservatives and some Senate conservatives. Only nine of the 213 House Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy strongly opposing it and calling it “one of the most shameful acts” he has seen in Congress.

Far-right Republicans had demanded deep domestic spending cuts that the omnibus spending bill did not include, and threatened to oppose any legislation introduced by Senate Republicans who supported the bill. Many House Republicans had wanted to delay negotiations on the bill until they held a majority in the new year, but its passage will take some pressure off Republican leaders as they take control of the chamber in January.

The legislation provides the Defense Department with a record $858 billion, an increase from $740 billion last year, and around $800 billion will be designated for non-military programs, including $68 billion for education, $45 billion for transportation, and $31 billion for housing and urban development. The bill also includes a provision to ban the use of the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok on federal government devices due to national security concerns.

In addition to the funding and resources provided in the bill, its passage marks the end, for all practical purposes, of the 117th Congress, which has seen a number of major victories for President Joe Biden.

These include a massive COVID-19 aid stimulus package, the first major infrastructure investment measure in years, and legislation investing billions of dollars in the fight against climate change.

A modest gun control bill was also enacted. However, the passage of this funding bill is likely to deepen gridlock in Congress as Republicans take a narrow majority in the House.

During the debate on the bill, emotions ran high, with Republican Representative Tim Burchett attacking the emergency aid for Ukraine and calling the bill “full of garbage,” while House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Democrat, defended the legislation as “the essence of supporting our national security, our domestic security, and the welfare of our people.”

Despite the strong opposition from some lawmakers, President Biden has indicated that he will sign the hard-fought legislation, which he described as advancing “key priorities for our country” and representing “historic bipartisan progress for the American people.

On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a comprehensive $1.66 trillion government funding bill that provides a range of funding and resources for military, education, transportation, housing, and other programs. The bill, which was passed on a largely party-line vote of 225–201, includes record military funding and emergency aid to Ukraine, as well as additional aid for students with disabilities, funding to protect workers’ rights, and job-training resources.

It also includes provisions for affordable housing for families, veterans, and those fleeing domestic violence. The bill, which covers the fiscal year ending September 30, was passed by the Senate the previous day on a bipartisan vote of 68–29, with the support of 18 of the 50 Senate Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Despite the bipartisan support in the Senate, the funding bill faced strong opposition from House Republican conservatives and some Senate conservatives. Only nine of the 213 House Republicans voted in favor of the bill, with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy strongly opposing it and calling it “one of the most shameful acts” he has seen in Congress.

Far-right Republicans had demanded deep domestic spending cuts that the omnibus spending bill did not include, and threatened to oppose any legislation introduced by Senate Republicans who supported the bill. Many House Republicans had wanted to delay negotiations on the bill until they held a majority in the new year, but its passage will take some pressure off Republican leaders as they take control of the chamber in January.

The legislation provides the Defense Department with a record $858 billion, an increase from $740 billion last year, and around $800 billion will be designated for non-military programs, including $68 billion for education, $45 billion for transportation, and $31 billion for housing and urban development. The bill also includes a provision to ban the use of the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok on federal government devices due to national security concerns.

In addition to the funding and resources provided in the bill, its passage marks the end, for all practical purposes, of the 117th Congress, which has seen a number of major victories for President Joe Biden.

These include a massive COVID-19 aid stimulus package, the first major infrastructure investment measure in years, and legislation investing billions of dollars in the fight against climate change.

A modest gun control bill was also enacted. However, the passage of this funding bill is likely to deepen gridlock in Congress as Republicans take a narrow majority in the House.

During the debate on the bill, emotions ran high, with Republican Representative Tim Burchett attacking the emergency aid for Ukraine and calling the bill “full of garbage,” while House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Democrat, defended the legislation as “the essence of supporting our national security, our domestic security, and the welfare of our people.”

Despite the strong opposition from some lawmakers, President Biden has indicated that he will sign the hard-fought legislation, which he described as advancing “key priorities for our country” and representing “historic bipartisan progress for the American people.