Congress on Friday sent President Obama a bipartisan but deficit draining year-end budget package that boosts federal agency spending and awards tax cuts to both families and a sweeping array of business interests.
Advertisement
The House voted on the spending portion of the measure on Friday, when it won support from House Republicans by a 150-95 margin.
“This legislation helps our economy, helps our national security, and strikes more blows to a partisan health law that hurts the middle class”, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Friday.
Obama said, “I think the system worked” this time.
“Although there were some good things in the bill, like lifting the crude oil export ban, one of the reasons I voted against it was that it continues Obamacare and gives a $30 billion tax break that greatly benefits groups that forced Obamacare on the rest of us”, Cassidy said.
The measure contains large spending boosts for veterans and medical research, and funds a familiar roster of grants for transportation projects, first responders and community development.
Senator Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, hailed it as “the biggest anti-poverty plan Congress has moved forward in decades”, and said it will provide relief for 50 million Americans. Nonetheless, he voted against the bill because he said it contained “unacceptable” provisions weakening oversight of government surveillance.
Republicans were not eager to repeat the fight they picked with Democrats in 2013, when a showdown over the budget resulted in a two-week shutdown of government operations. Public opinion polls blamed Republicans for the turmoil, and the party under Ryan – elected October 29 to replace John Boehner – wants to avoid a repeat with the 2016 presidential election approaching, to show that Republicans can govern.
“It is going to bust the deficit”.
Louisiana Sen. David Vitter and Arkansas Sen. The vote was 65-33. The former speaker’s decision to turn to Democrats for votes was a major complaint of the Republican insurgents who ousted him.
He warned that Republicans who supported the measure will get grief from constituents when they go home. Ryan has emphasized this week that the spending bill is the product of a process he inherited from Boehner and that he’ll pursue a different strategy next year.
Democratic leaders in the House said accepting the oil provision pushed by the GOP was worth what they got.
The bill would not have passed without Democrats supporting GOP leadership.
Ryan cited the lifting of the oil export ban, the large increase for the Pentagon and curbs on the activities of the Environmental Protection Agency and the IRS as wins for Republicans.
Pelosi got commitments from congressional leaders and the White House to address Puerto Rico early next year.
It also reforms the USA visa waiver program following the deadly attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California.
The legislation includes an overhaul of the International Monetary Fund backed by Obama, and a cybersecurity bill encouraging companies to share cyber threat information with the government.
The tax-extension measure passed by the House Thursday would also make permanent an enhanced child tax credit and the earned income tax credit, both Democratic priorities, as well as tax breaks for charitable giving and schoolteachers’ expenses. A tax on medical devices would be suspended for two years, a levy on health insurers would stop for one year and, in a victory for unions, a tax on higher-cost insurance policies would be postponed two years until 2020.
Not everyone was on board.
Several of the GOP presidential candidates in the Senate were among those opposing the legislation, though Sen.
Advertisement
“This bill is a good bill – it is not a ideal bill”, Boustany said. “I would hope we would all think twice before voting for this absolutely unresponsible, irresponsible piece of legislation that adds another $700 billion to the debt”.
