The House of Representatives successfully passed the remaining six appropriations bills for fiscal year 2024 during its Friday morning session, establishing a tight deadline for the Senate to review and vote on the package before the midnight cutoff to avert a partial government shutdown.
This crucial vote potentially carries significant implications for House Speaker Mike Johnson, as GOP Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has initiated a motion to oust him from his role as Speaker.
The comprehensive $1.2 trillion package encompasses funding for defense, homeland security, financial services and general government, labor and health services, the legislative branch, and state-foreign operations. This funding allocation will sustain federal operations until the end of the fiscal year on September 30th.
Receiving approval required the bills to secure a two-thirds majority vote. Ultimately, the final tally stood at 286-134.
Indications emerged on Thursday night that the vote might be more closely contested than anticipated by GOP leadership. Representative Robert Aderholt, chair of the Labor-HHS subcommittee, announced his intention to vote against the package due to concerns over earmarks introduced by senators from both sides of the aisle. In his statement, he emphasized that the Senate amendments deviated significantly from the bill initially supported by his subcommittee.
Additional Republican members expressed disappointment with the package’s perceived inadequacy in addressing border security concerns and criticized the rushed timeline between the release of the extensive text early Thursday morning and the scheduled Friday vote.
However, Representative Ken Calvert, chair of the appropriations subcommittee on defense, urged his colleagues to support the package, highlighting the dire consequences of its failure to pass. He underscored that rejecting the bill would leave the government with no alternative but to resort to a full-year continuing resolution, jeopardizing national security interests and exposing the country to risks from adversarial nations.
On the Democratic side, Representative Rosa DeLauro, the ranking member of the appropriations subcommittee on labor, health, and education, portrayed the package as a product of compromise. She acknowledged that while it may not fulfill every party’s wishlist, it represents a balanced approach, rejecting extreme cuts and policies proposed by House Republicans.
DeLauro highlighted the collaborative effort involving herself, Representative Kay Granger, and Senators Susan Collins and Patty Murray, noting that it marked the first time that negotiations on government funding were led by women on all four corners.
The package contains provisions that cater to both Republican and Democratic interests. Republicans laud the increased funding for ICE detention beds and border agents, along with reductions in funding for non-governmental organizations. They also celebrate provisions preventing the Consumer Product Safety Commission from prohibiting gas stoves and diplomatic facilities from flying non-official U.S. flags.
Democrats, on the other hand, applaud the $1 billion boost for childcare and early learning programs, including a $12 billion allocation for the Head Start program. Notably, the measure halting funding for UNWRA until March 2025 has garnered significant attention, following allegations by Israel that UNWRA personnel were involved in Hamas’ attack on Israel.
Among other provisions in the package are:
– $48.6 billion in discretionary funding for the National Institutes of Health, with increases allocated for mental health, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and opioid research.
– $4.6 billion for substance use prevention and treatment programs, including grants for opioid response and rural communities.
– $4 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to assist low-income households with heating and cooling expenses.
– A 5.2% pay raise for service members.
– $1.18 billion for the Small Business Administration, including funds for entrepreneurial development grants.
– $300 million is allocated for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
– $792 million for U.S. Capitol Police recruiting and retention efforts, representing an increase from previous funding levels.
The vote’s outcome also holds implications for Speaker Johnson’s leadership. While House rules permit any lawmaker to initiate a vote to remove the speaker, Greene’s motion targeting Johnson lacks privileged status, leaving its fate uncertain regarding if or when it will reach the floor for consideration.
Johnson leads a precarious one-vote majority, further complicated by Representative Ken Buck’s resignation from the House on Friday and Representative Mike Gallagher’s announcement of resignation effective April 19th. Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good attributed blame to Johnson for advancing the package for a vote, declining to delve into internal GOP leadership matters but expressing dissatisfaction with the speaker’s actions.
