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Senate poised to consider $1.1 trillion spending bill before new Saturday deadline Senate poised to consider $1.1 trillion spending bill before new Saturday deadline
(about 2 hours later)
The U.S. Senate has until late Saturday night to complete work on a $1.1 trillion spending package to keep most government agencies operating through next summer.The U.S. Senate has until late Saturday night to complete work on a $1.1 trillion spending package to keep most government agencies operating through next summer.
The spending agreement could be passed and sent to President Obama as early as late Friday, but that would require consent from all 100 senators, including the mix of liberal and conservative senators who oppose parts of the omnibus agreement. The spending agreement could be passed and sent to President Obama as early as late Friday, but that would require consent from all 100 senators, including liberals and conservatives who oppose parts of the omnibus agreement.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who’s upset that the bill doesn’t do more to block Obama’s decision to use executive authority to change immigration policy, conceded on Friday morning that strong GOP support for the bill in the House on Thursday night makes it less likely that his views will prevail. Among liberals, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sparked a Democratic revolt this week by speaking out against the legislation. But she hadn’t indicated by Friday afternoon whether she might seek to block the bill or force at least a few hours of debate that could spill it into Saturday.
“I adhere to the view that Congress should not fund a program that we think is unworthy and unlawful, but that’s been decided by the House,” he said. A pack of Republicans upset that the bill doesn’t do more to block Obama’s recent executive actions on immigration was plotting on Friday how to force a vote to stop the actions. But one of them, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), conceded that strong GOP support for the spending bill in the House on Thursday night makes it less likely that his views will prevail.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sparked a liberal revolt against the legislation this week, but hasn’t indicated whether she might block the bill or force at least a few hours of debate and push the bill’s consideration into Saturday. “I adhere to the view that Congress should not fund a program that we think is unworthy and unlawful, but that’s been decided by the House,” he said on Friday morning.
“There isn’t a lot of time,” Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) warned as he opened the chamber and said he would support the bill.“There isn’t a lot of time,” Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) warned as he opened the chamber and said he would support the bill.
Before debate begins, senators need to complete work on legislation setting military policy for the next year. Later, the Senate’s year-end to-do list includes a series of tax breaks, reauthorization of a federally-backed terrorism insurance program and confirmation of a final slate of Obama nominees to government posts.
Depending on how things go, senators could be kept in Washington for several more days or be leaving town for the holidays by Saturday afternoon.Depending on how things go, senators could be kept in Washington for several more days or be leaving town for the holidays by Saturday afternoon.
Before then, senators were expected to pass legislation setting military policy for the next year. Then there’s the spending bill.
In addition to Sessions, Republican Sens. Ted Cruz (Tex.), Mike Lee (Utah) and David Vitter (La.) were hoping to force a vote on their proposal to defund parts of the federal government tied to Obama’s recent executive actions on immigration. A Senate aide familiar with that plan said the quartet remained optimistic that there would be a vote.
But Democrats are certain to block such attempts, at which point it was unclear what might unfold. Once the spending bill is out of the way, senators still need to complete work on a package of proposed tax breaks, the reauthorization of a federally-backed terrorism insurance program and the confirmation of a final batch of Obama nominees to government posts. Senior Democratic aides warned that the year-end to-do list might force senators to reconvene for a few days next week.
On Friday, Obama reiterated his support for the spending bill, saying, “This, by definition, was a compromise bill.”
“Had I been able to draft my own legislation, get it passed without any Republican votes, I suspect it would be slightly different,” he said later. “That is not the circumstance we find ourselves in, and I think what the American people very much are looking for is responsible governance and the willingness to compromise.”
Passage of the spending bill and other unfinished business will be a victory for congressional Republicans, who were eager to wipe the slate clean before taking full control of Capitol Hill next year. The spending agreement also sets up what promises to be a three-month battle with Obama over the future of the nation’s immigration policy.Passage of the spending bill and other unfinished business will be a victory for congressional Republicans, who were eager to wipe the slate clean before taking full control of Capitol Hill next year. The spending agreement also sets up what promises to be a three-month battle with Obama over the future of the nation’s immigration policy.
Congress narrowly avoided another government shutdown on Thursday night when the House approved the bill by a vote of 219-to-206 with less than three hours before government funding expired. The House and Senate then agreed to a two-day extension to give senators more time to consider the bill.Congress narrowly avoided another government shutdown on Thursday night when the House approved the bill by a vote of 219-to-206 with less than three hours before government funding expired. The House and Senate then agreed to a two-day extension to give senators more time to consider the bill.
The result capped a long, acrimonious day in which House Democrats nearly upended the bill backed by Obama. The showdown exposed some of the dynamics on Capitol Hill in which the most liberal Democrats replaced the most conservative Republicans as significant obstacles to passing difficult fiscal legislation.The result capped a long, acrimonious day in which House Democrats nearly upended the bill backed by Obama. The showdown exposed some of the dynamics on Capitol Hill in which the most liberal Democrats replaced the most conservative Republicans as significant obstacles to passing difficult fiscal legislation.
The tumult surfaced in the House around midday Thursday, when every Democrat present voted against a procedural motion to begin debate. With the effort in danger of failing, Republican leaders convinced one outgoing Republican member to switch his vote and allow debate to begin.
The White House tried quickly to come to the rescue, announcing Obama’s support for the legislation, even as it criticized provisions in the 1,603-page bill regarding Wall Street regulations and loosened campaign donation limits. A last-minute lobbying effort involving Obama, Vice President Biden and other top officials helped secure enough support.
But House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sharply rebuked the president in a floor speech, charging that Democrats were “being blackmailed” into passing the measure because the shutdown deadline was so close.
“I’m enormously disappointed that the White House feels that the only way they can get a bill is to go along with this,” she said. “That would be the only reason I think they would say they would sign such a bill.”
Pelosi’s anger was shared by a majority of Democrats, who were also infuriated by several policy changes tucked inside the agreement released late Tuesday.
When they saw the text Wednesday morning, rank-and-file Democrats lashed out at provisions undoing a signature piece of the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory overhaul and allowing banks to more easily trade the investments known as derivatives. The financial overhaul enacted in 2010 ranks among the biggest domestic achievements of the Obama presidency and the formerly Democratic-controlled Congress.
Another controversial part of the bill would permit a wealthy couple to give three times the current donation limits to the national political parties.
At a closed-door leadership meeting Thursday morning, Pelosi and her team said they would try again to extract concessions from House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio). Exiting the meeting, Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) said Pelosi was telling members to “keep your powder dry.” Summarizing the tug felt by many Democrats, Rangel said that he didn’t like the bill, “but I absolutely don’t like shutting down the government.”
Pelosi and Boehner spoke twice by telephone during the day, but Pelosi’s attempts to make last-minute changes were rebuffed, according to aides to both leaders.
In addition to Obama and Biden, Jeffrey Zients, chairman of Obama’s National Economic Council, and Shaun Donovan, the White House budget director, phoned wavering Democrats. So did Democratic members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, including Chairman Barbara A. Mikulski (Md.) and Sen. Christopher A. Coons (Del.), according to lawmakers who received calls.
White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough also made a plea for support during a closed-door meeting in the basement of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday night. Asked about the Wall Street and campaign finance provisions in the bill, McDonough told the Democrats, “We learned about these [two] provisions when you did,” according to aides in the room.
Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), a close Pelosi ally, said that McDonough had tried to assuage Democratic concerns by arguing that the economy needs the “certainty” and “consistency” of a one-year bill. But he said many rank-and-file members expressed their concerns with the bill.
Pelosi, Rangel, Israel and 136 other Democrats voted against the bill, while 57 Democrats and 162 Republicans voted in favor.
Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) led Democrats in favor of the bill and said that while it was far from perfect, “on balance, I thought the bill ought to pass.”
The wave of Democratic opposition in the House appeared backed in part by Warren, a popular figure on the left who voiced concern on Wednesday that the bill would sharply increase the influence of wealthy campaign donors. She said the bill reflected “the worst of government for the rich and powerful.”
The Democratic split led to a rare political role reversal as Republicans spent most of Thursday on the sidelines.The Democratic split led to a rare political role reversal as Republicans spent most of Thursday on the sidelines.
Yet Republican support grew throughout the day, despite the objections of dozens of conservatives that the legislation would not punish Obama hard enough for using his executive authority to change immigration policy. GOP support for the bill grew throughout the day, despite the objections of dozens of conservatives that the legislation would not punish Obama hard enough for using his executive authority to change immigration policy.
Rep. Bill Flores (R-Tex.), the incoming chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, said he would vote against the bill because “my constituents are telling me that they’re against it. I think that it would be hard to totally stop the president’s unlawful amnesty action, but I think we could try a little bit harder to fix it.”Rep. Bill Flores (R-Tex.), the incoming chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, said he would vote against the bill because “my constituents are telling me that they’re against it. I think that it would be hard to totally stop the president’s unlawful amnesty action, but I think we could try a little bit harder to fix it.”
Conscious of conservative concerns about immigration, Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) made a point of coming off the House floor to tell reporters that the bill would launch a showdown with the Obama administration on immigration reform early next year.Conscious of conservative concerns about immigration, Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) made a point of coming off the House floor to tell reporters that the bill would launch a showdown with the Obama administration on immigration reform early next year.
“That battle is going to be very viciously fought, not only in the House but in the Republican Senate,” he said before quickly hustling back on to the floor. “That battle is going to be very viciously fought, not only in the House but in the Republican Senate,” he said before quickly hustling back onto the floor.
Boehner especially was at ease as the final vote began. As he headed to the floor, he stopped and told reporters: “I’m a happy warrior.” House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) especially was at ease as the final vote began. As he headed to the floor, he stopped and told reporters: “I’m a happy warrior.”
Sean Sullivan, Paul Kane, Steven Mufson and Aaron C. Davis contributed to this report. Sean Sullivan and Paul Kane contributed to this report.