Republicans in the House led by Paul Ryan passed a $1.1 trillion spending package on Wednesday. After the bill made it through the Senate, President Donald Trump signed it into law in order to prevent a government shutdown.
The spending bill known as a Continuing Resolution will last until September where once again the budget will come up for debate.
The bill pushed by Paul Ryan passed the house 309-118. However a significant number of Republicans voted against the bill. In fact, 103 republicans in the House voted “No.”
In the Bill
The massive spending package had some wins for Republicans including $21 billion in new defense spending and $1.5 billion for border security. It also blocked funds for Obamacare and reduced the number of jobs at the Environmental Protection Agency.
However, the bill also put $2 million into the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities and blocked Republicans attempt to defund Planned Parenthood. It also failed to include funds to build the border wall.
Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney explained the Trump administration’s stance on the spending package:
[Democrats] wanted a shutdown. They were desperate to make this administration look like we couldn’t function, like we couldn’t govern.
He then went on to address the border wall:
Keep in mind, building the border wall is not like building a wall at your house, OK … We would fix all those things anyway as we’re working our way to the new areas. So I wouldn’t agree with the premise that this sets us back at all. If nothing else, it actually helps us to fast-track where border security would be otherwise.
Wayne’s Take
Big time Trump supporter Wayne Dupree had his own thoughts on the spending package.
Listen:
Wayne’s thoughts are in line with a number of House Republicans who voted against the massive spending bill.
Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania said “I don’t see it as a win for conservatives. While there are some good things in it that conservatives want, the hallmark things that most of us ran on are conspicuously absent.”
Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho agreed:
I do not see it as a win. If you look at what happened, the negotiations started before we had the president and his Cabinet were in place. … So you’re not seeing a lot of the White House priorities in this bill, so I don’t see how we can say this is a win for the American people, or for the election that just happened. I could never call this actual spending bill a victory for conservatives or Republicans.
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky added:
Today's spending deal is the epitome of what's wrong with Wash. DC. Please forgive me for thinking #draintheswamp meant something different.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 3, 2017
This massive #Omnibust started out as HR 244, a bill to help veterans. Every word was stripped and 1665 pages of spending were added. Sad! pic.twitter.com/O2gh4pHGI4
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 3, 2017
He even explained the problem with these massive spending bills:
But then again, that wouldn't create a crisis big enough to get everyone to vote for everything in one bad bill. #sassywithmassie https://t.co/YbROZaCF6B
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 1, 2017
What do you think? Do you support this spending bill or do you think it didn’t include enough of President Trump’s America First initiatives?
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Source: Daily Signal