A few conservatives were complaining about Ryan himself, and many lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats alike, proudly touted the accomplishments achieved since the new speaker was sworn in, including bipartisan bills on highways and education and a two-year budget and debt deal that paved the way for today’s spending and tax legislation. Bloomberg Business, citing one industry analyst, says, “the deal will speed up the shift from fossil fuels more than the global climate deal struck this month in Paris and more than Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan that regulates coal plants”.
Advertisement
“We inherited a process, a cake that was pretty much more than half-baked”, Ryan said Thursday. “And this is a messy process that doesn’t satisfy everybody completely, but it’s more typical of American democracy”. That put Pelosi in a powerful negotiating position, and is the most recent example of how the House Freedom Caucus, by withholding support for Republican leadership’s priorities, has helped to shift legislation to the left.
Obama has promised to sign the legislation, which includes numerous spending increases he has demanded all year.
For Republican leaders in Congress, there was particular motivation to show that they were capable of governing.
The bill’s low-drama passage in the Senate followed days of suspense this week surrounding its fate in the House. Democrats, however, were not readily willing to give credit.
Among other things, the package lifts the decades-long ban on USA crude oil exports and imposes new US visa restrictions for some foreigners who have visited countries with links to terrorism.
“At the end of the day, you walk out with less of what you wanted, and more of what you didn’t want”.
After a period of belt-tightening in Washington – including automatic budget cuts imposed in 2013 – the spending measure for 2016 provides a notable $66 billion increase in federal outlays above previously agreed-upon limits, divided equally between military and nonmilitary programs.
In keeping with a bipartisan compromise, all sides claimed victory.
On Thursday, Republicans powered the tax portion of the package past divided Democrats by a 318-109 vote. “And this legislation does include several wins for the American people”.
Democrats, as a minority, leveraged the Republican unhappiness to promise some votes – and the president’s ultimate signature – if the bill included some of their pet provisions. “Let’s vote for it, and may the Force be with us”.
Once the House acts, and many expect it will ultimately approve the bill on a narrow margin, the Senate will vote on the package, and it’s expected to pass it and send it the President to sign before the federal government runs out of money at midnight on Tuesday.
Both of New Mexico’s senators – Democrats Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall – voted for the package. The vote was 65-33.
Bishop was determined to make radical changes in the fund. He had a reasonable concern that the states weren’t getting enough of the money, but also a cockamamie idea that some of the funds should be kicked back to the oil companies to help train their workers.
“This bill is even referred to as a Christmas tree bill because special interests get special presents, all in ornaments on this tree”, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, said on the House floor Thursday.
Advertisement
In the Senate, leaders in each party expressed support for the deal.
