A group of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/house-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House Republicans</a> is joining in an effort to overturn the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill.
Ten House GOP members filed an amicus brief in support of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lawsuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas</a> Attorney General Ken Paxton that seeks to overturn the omnibus spending bill passed in December 2022. The lawmakers claimed that the House proxy voting rule for the COVID pandemic meant that the omnibus bill was not legitimately passed. Paxton originally filed the lawsuit in February, seeking to overturn the massive spending bill on the same grounds.
“For 231 years, Congress has met in person,” the Republican members wrote in their brief, via <a href="https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/3944433-house-republicans-overturn-omnibus-spending-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>. “The Constitution’s requirements survived wars, pandemics, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and numerous other crises through history, and Congress had never voted by proxy to enact bills before 2020. This is undoubtedly due to the Constitution’s language that establishes physical presence is necessary in the People’s House.”
“The House of Representatives’ adoption of proxy voting rules was unconstitutional on the day that it was announced; this Court therefore has the power—indeed the duty—to review and adjudicate the constitutionality of legislation enacted due only to proxy voting,” the members added. “In doing so, it should hold that the Plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits, because the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 cannot be sustained as a proper exercise of Congress’s power to enact legislation.&#8221;
The 10 members who signed the brief were Reps. Chip Roy (TX); Morgan Griffith (VA); Andy Ogles and John Rose (TN): Harriet Hageman (WY); Andy Biggs (AZ); Clay Higgins (LA); Warren Davidson (OH); Gary Palmer (AL); and Matt Rosendale (MT). The Mountain States Legal Foundation filed the brief on behalf of the members.
The Texas Attorney General originally filed the <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/Quorum%20Clause%20Complaint.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suit</a> in February. The suit claims that because only 201 members of the House of Representatives — less than half of the total number of voting members — were present in the chamber on the day the House voted on the omnibus bill, there was no quorum present. Therefore, the House could not do any business under the Constitution.
&#8220;The House nevertheless purported to accept the Senate’s amendments to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 on that day,&#8221; the suit reads. &#8220;It did so under a House Rule that allowed absent members to vote by proxy. But the Constitution defines absent members as excluded from &#8216;a Quorum to do Business&#8217; and therefore unauthorized to vote to enact legislation—by &#8216;proxy&#8217; or otherwise. Though President Biden signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, his signature was a nullity because the act never &#8216;passed the House of Representatives.&#8217; The Court should declare that the Consolidated Appropriations Act has not been enacted and is not law.&#8221;
The suit seeks a ruling declaring that the Consolidated Appropriations Act was adopted in violation of the Constitution, and is therefore unlawful. It also seeks a permanent injunction against two Biden administration policies; first, an amendment to Title VII that expands the definition of pregnancy discrimination, and would empower the federal government to investigate and sue the state if it deems that it is not adhering to federal standards; second, the Department of Homeland Security’s “Alternatives to Detention Program,” which releases illegal aliens into the country who would otherwise be detained by ICE, and funds grants which connect illegal aliens with social services. Texas argues that the DHS program would put even more strain on the state&#8217;s finances.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1681313451267000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3nO3EKGAEUHbjXmJbALLTd">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
An analysis by <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2023/04/05/texas-ag-just-threw-a-glorious-legal-wrench-in-bidens-unconstitutional-1-7-trillion-spending-spree/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Federalist</a> concluded that the federal court is unlikely to overturn the entire omnibus bill, but it may very well enjoin the two policies.

U.S. House Prepares For House Omnibus Bill Vote

House GOP Members Back Texas’ Effort To Overturn The $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Bill

Group Of House GOPers File Brief In Support Of Texas' Effort To Overturn The $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Bill

House Republicans

Ken Paxton

Lawsuit

Omnibus bill

Texas

The $1.7 trillion omnibus bill rammed through by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-18-republicans-who-just-screwed-over-america-by-supporting-the-mcconnell-schumer-1-7-trillion-spending-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Uniparty</a> just days before Christmas hasn&#8217;t officially been signed into law just yet.
It would appear that President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/he-doesnt-give-a-s-while-americans-face-deadly-cold-snap-bidens-off-to-the-sunny-virgin-islands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decided to fly down to a tropical vacation</a> before the document was ready for his signature. So now, taxpayers are footing the bill to fly the 4,000-plus page bill down St. Croix so that Biden can put his John Hancock on the package that funds the U.S. government through September of next year.
Fox News&#8217; Pat Ward tweeted that a White House source told his colleague, &#8220;the Omnibus Bill is in White House possession, and it needs to be signed by 12/30. It will soon be en route to St Croix to be signed here.&#8221;
In reaction, conservative John Hasson pointed out that the decision completely undermines the Democratic administration&#8217;s commitment to fighting so-called climate change.
&#8220;Biden is so concerned about climate change, he&#8217;s flying the Omnibus bill to St. Croix so he can sign it in the Caribbean &#8230; when he could&#8217;ve delayed his vacation for two days and signed it in DC,&#8221; he tweeted.
&#8220;But we all need to cut our emissions, or something,&#8221; Hasson added.
https://twitter.com/SonofHas/status/1608503984792440832
Indeed, on Thursday Biden&#8217;s Twitter account put out a message that the 46th president was motivated to seek the highest office in the land out of concern for the environment.
&#8220;One of the reasons I ran for office was to confront the existential threat climate change poses to our nation and to the world,&#8221; Biden tweeted. &#8220;With the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, we took the biggest step towards that goal in American history.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
One of the reasons I ran for office was to confront the existential threat climate change poses to our nation and to the world.
With the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, we took the biggest step towards that goal in American history.
&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1608477945705684992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
He&#8217;s supposedly so concerned about climate change that he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-wants-credit-for-bidens-green-energy-agenda-let-her-have-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supports spending billions of dollars to create a green energy</a> utopia that will never come, yet he is not so worried about the changing planet that he wouldn&#8217;t think twice about flying down a bill on a gas-guzzling plane.
That should tell Americans who still believe that Biden is &#8220;genuine&#8221; all they need to know if they haven&#8217;t got the memo yet is that he and his liberal ilk are about as authentic as a three-dollar bill.
Red State columnist &#8220;Bonchie&#8221; added that the optics of the scenario was &#8220;Absolute perfection.&#8221;
&#8220;While you can&#8217;t afford groceries, the government is flying a $1.7 trillion bill to St. Croix to be signed by a president who hasn&#8217;t read it because he couldn&#8217;t be bothered to postpone his umpteenth vacation by a day,&#8221; the pseudonymous writer added.
https://twitter.com/bonchieredstate/status/1608464822013771779?s=20&#038;t=VLJKSuQ05-YFKM9SPirCRw
Of course, Democrats don&#8217;t actually care about inflation or helping the planet.
They care about staying in power and doing whatever they can to scare voters into supporting their candidates while ignoring reality. They do so by fearmongering about global warming while gaslighting the American people about the rising costs of goods.
If you speak out against any of that, then you&#8217;re vilified as a threat to democracy.
Perhaps something good can come of Biden&#8217;s decision to go on vacation without completing his year-end tasks.
As numerous Twitter users joked, the American people can only hope that the omnibus package is sent via the beleaguered<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/southwest-airlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Southwest Airlines</a>. Maybe its flight will get canceled.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Joe Biden

Biden Ditched Town Before Signing $1.7 Trillion Omnibus, So Now The Gov Is Flying The 4,000 Page Bill Down To His Tropical Vacation For His Stamp Of Approval

Climate Change

Environment

Executive

Politics

A handful of Democrats and Republicans bucked their respective parties in the House vote Friday to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-sends-monster-1-7-trillion-spending-bill-to-joe-bidens-desk-with-backing-from-9-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pass the $1.7 trillion “omnibus” bill</a> stuffed with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pork-parks-and-woke-all-the-fun-features-in-1-7-trillion-omnibus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all sorts of pork</a> according to critics.
<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2022549" target="_blank" rel="noopener">These defectors</a> collectively did little to change the results. By a 225-201 vote, the massive spending legislation cleared the lower chamber and now heads to President Joe Biden, who <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/12/23/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-passage-of-the-bipartisan-year-end-omnibus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says he will sign it into law</a>. The 4,155-page bill, which features $858 billion in defense funding, as well as $772.5 billion for non-defense “discretionary programs,” already passed the Senate on Thursday.
On the Democratic Party side, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was the sole &#8220;no&#8221; vote, though a fellow member of &#8220;The Squad,&#8221; Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), also stood out, voting &#8220;present&#8221; — <a href="https://twitter.com/mattloff/status/1606365690146959360" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by proxy</a>.
In a statement, Ocasio-Cortez cited <a href="https://www.govexec.com/management/2022/12/here-are-major-takeaways-17-trillion-omnibus-spending-bill/381162/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spending for the Homeland Security Department</a> and its Immigration and Customs Enforcement sub-agency as well as the omnibus&#8217; significant commitment to national security as her reasons for opposing the legislation.
&#8220;I campaigned on a promise to my constituents: to oppose additional expansion for ICE and DHS — particularly in the absence of long-overdue immigration reform,&#8221; the leftist firebrand said. &#8220;For that reason, as well as the dramatic increase in defense spending with exceeds even President Biden&#8217;s request, I voted no on today&#8217;s omnibus bill.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez released the following statement following her ‘no’ vote on the omnibus spending bill: <a href="https://t.co/90HZhhDbCt">pic.twitter.com/90HZhhDbCt</a>
&mdash; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepAOC/status/1606381735415103489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Although she opposed the overall bill, Ocasio-Cortez defended certain &#8220;victories&#8221; achieved during negotiations, including &#8220;significant funding&#8221; for more than a dozen community projects in her district that includes the Bronx and Queens.
Her statement was met with some chiding in light of the congresswoman responding Thursday to a Twitter thread from the office of Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) that highlighted $3,000,000 for “clean energy workforce development” at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority as a &#8220;pet project&#8221; of Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
&#8220;Thank you for calling attention to my ‘pet project’ of making New York State a global leader in combating climate change and creating tons of good, high-paying jobs for people in the process,&#8221; Ocasio-Cortez retorted. &#8220;I’m proud of it!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Thank you for calling attention to my “pet project” of making New York State a global leader in combating climate change and creating tons of good, high-paying jobs for people in the process. I’m proud of it! 🌎🗽
What’s your pet project? Being a hater for a living? <a href="https://t.co/VkpBLQyNdu">https://t.co/VkpBLQyNdu</a>
&mdash; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) <a href="https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1605991163285995521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After her &#8220;no&#8221; vote on Friday, Washington Free Beacon investigative reporter Chuck Ross quipped, &#8220;AOC was for the omnibus before she was against it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
AOC was for the omnibus before she was against it <a href="https://t.co/pdY17mjvCu">https://t.co/pdY17mjvCu</a>
&mdash; Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChuckRossDC/status/1606375320092901376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Siraj Hashmi, a member of The Habibi Bros political podcast and creator of &#8220;<a href="https://twitter.com/ListComesForAll" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The List</a>&#8221; (which ridicules Twitter users for what it deems to be cringeworthy tweets), shared a screenshot of a tweet noting AOC was the only Democratic &#8220;no&#8221; vote and asked, &#8220;this u?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
this u? <a href="https://t.co/f7nB1qc5Ci">pic.twitter.com/f7nB1qc5Ci</a>
&mdash; Siraj Hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) <a href="https://twitter.com/SirajAHashmi/status/1606374135717892115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Nine Republicans broke ranks with the rest of their party on Friday, voting with the vast majority of Democrats to pass the spending bill.
These defectors were Reps. Liz Cheney (R-WY), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Chris Jacobs (R-NY), John Katko (R-NY), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Fred Upton (R-MI), and Steve Womack (R-AR).
In addition, Four Republicans declined to vote. They were Reps. Ken Buck (R-CO), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN), and David McKinley (R-WV).

AOC Breaks Ranks In $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Vote

Congress

Funding

U.S. House of Representatives

As members of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House of Representatives</a> passed a $1.7 trillion <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/omnibus-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">omnibus bill</a> one day before Christmas Eve, many appear to have done so from the comfort of their homes.
The 4,155-page piece of legislation would codify $858 billion in defense spending and nearly $773 billion for discretionary programs. There are 227 active <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/ProxyLetter#ActiveProxies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proxy letters</a> for Friday submitted by lawmakers who have designated a colleague to vote on their behalf, according to a <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/half-house-proxy-voting-omnibus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Washington Examiner, meaning that over half of the lower chamber utilized a rule intended for COVID-related absences to vote on the controversial piece of legislation.
The move likely occurs as lawmakers contend with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/over-one-million-homes-and-businesses-without-power-as-winter-storm-sweeps-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">winter weather</a> and travel delays presenting difficulties to those visiting family ahead of Christmas.
Party leaders and members have faced criticism for allowing and participating in proxy voting. Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) drew backlash in 2020 for participating in a House Transportation Committee meeting from his boat, according to a <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2020/07/17/arizona-rep-greg-stanton-votes-boat-congressional-hearing/5462742002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Arizona Republic. Rep. Kaialiʻi Kahele (D-HI) <a href="https://www.civilbeat.org/2022/11/kahele-faces-ethics-probe-for-allegedly-misusing-social-media-during-campaign/">prompted</a> an ethics investigation in May after he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/congressmans-airline-income-while-pushing-related-bills-proxy-voting-warrants-ethics-probe-watchdog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> by proxy over 100 times; some of the votes were cast while he was giving a speech, as well as visiting a state park and a farm.
Rep. Greg Pence (R-IN) recently <a href="https://pence.house.gov/media/in-the-news/rep-greg-pence-calls-pelosi-end-proxy-voting-following-bidens-claim-pandemic-over" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asked</a> House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to end the rule. “Over the course of one hundred and fifteen sessions of Congress, this body convened in times of war, pandemics, and national crises alike to fulfill our constitutional duties,” he wrote. “Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two and a half years ago, essential workers, blue-collar employees, first responders, food and restaurant industries, and many more have shown up to work each and every day to do their job.”
The omnibus bill nevertheless <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-sends-monster-1-7-trillion-spending-bill-to-joe-bidens-desk-with-backing-from-9-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> the House on Friday with a 225-201 vote. President Joe Biden must sign the bill on Friday in order to avoid a government shutdown.
Senior lawmakers unveiled the text of the lengthy bill earlier this week; members of the Senate voted 70-25 on Tuesday to initiate debate and passed the legislation 68-29 on Thursday, with 18 Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-passes-monster-spending-package-with-backing-from-at-least-18-republicans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joining</a> their 50 Democrat-aligned colleagues in support of the package.
Among other provisions, the omnibus bill <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pork-parks-and-woke-all-the-fun-features-in-1-7-trillion-omnibus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">funds</a> border security for foreign nations and offers contributions for LGBTQ pride centers. In addition to a nearly $45 billion aid package for Ukraine and other NATO members, the omnibus will fund the creation of a “Ukrainian Independence Park” in Washington D.C. Another section would designate a federal building in San Francisco as the “Speaker Nancy Pelosi Federal Building,” while another would greenlight $3.6 million for a “Michelle Obama Trail” in Georgia.
As <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDanBishop/status/1605267946330267673" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted</a> by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC), the bill provided $575 million for &#8220;family planning&#8221; in areas where population growth &#8220;threatens biodiversity.&#8221;
The omnibus package also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/massive-changes-to-retirement-system-buried-in-behemoth-omnibus-bill" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contains</a> a number of overhauls to the retirement system. Among the most significant changes is the automatic enrollment of employees in 401(k) programs for companies that offer matching benefits, according to a <a href="https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Secure%202.0_Section%20by%20Section%20Summary%2012-19-22%20FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summary</a> from the Senate Finance Committee. Workers would be required to enroll at a rate of 3% before contributions automatically increase by 1% each year until a 10% threshold is reached.

Over 200 House Members Voted On Massive Omnibus Bill While Away From D.C.

House Members Used Proxy Voting To Greenlight Omnibus Bill

Spending Bill

Slamming his fellow GOP senators for <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/finance/3785395-senate-passes-1-7-trillion-omnibus-spending-package/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voting for the massive omnibus bill</a> pushed by the Democratic Party, Utah GOP Senator Mike Lee, who had authored an amendment that would enable Title 42 to be extended in order to curb illegal immigration, warned of the demise of the Republican Party. The bill passed in the Senate, 68-29; 18 GOP senators <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-republican-senators-who-voted-pass-1-7-trillion-omnibus-bill-1769176" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted for the bill</a>.
Prior to Lee’s remarks made to Larry Kudlow of Fox News, Kudlow himself had slammed the Senate.
“The way that Senator Mike Lee was treated just a few hours ago on the floor of the Senate makes this the worst [omnibus bill] ever,” Kudlow <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/larry-kudlow-sinema-manchin-switch-defeat-title-42-no-holy-christmas-season-miracle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> of Lee’s attempt to extend Title 42. “Lee had the votes to pass his amendment; it would have been 49-48, but [Majority Leader] Senator Chuck Schumer stepped in to extend the voting time another eight minutes for some arm-twisting. Well, guess whose arms he twisted? Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin.”
“That’s right; these two ‘independent-minded’ people, who frequently boast that they are not part of the Left-wing big-government socialist-sponsoring Democratic Party, miraculously changed their votes,” he snapped.
Kudlow pointed out that had Lee’s amendment passed, in all likelihood, the omnibus bill would have failed and then been channeled into a continuing resolution that would not have been voted on until the Republicans took over the House in January, providing the opportunity to significantly change things.
Kudlow noted that Kentucky GOP Senator Rand Paul had said that the GOP had lost any “power of the purse” and that the GOP had “emasculated” itself.
“This is not a good episode for the Republican Party, is it?” he asked Lee.
“No, not at all,” Lee <a href="https://grabien.com/story.php?id=405965" target="_blank" rel="noopener">answered</a>. “I’m glad you brought up the tax hikes in there, which are themselves problematic, and you’re correct to point out they are not getting the attention they deserve.”
“One of the reasons that this sort of thing can happen and not get much attention in the process – and Republicans can still go through the motions and vote for it, devastatingly – is because it’s folded into a 4,155-page bill, one that was negotiated in secret by four or five members of Congress, held secret from the public until Tuesday morning,” Lee noted, adding, “There’s not a human alive that can digest 4,155 pages of legislative appropriations text in that short period of time.”
“One of the reasons why this should never happen — Republicans, in particular, who do this — they should be asked to never, ever, do it again. We will self-destruct as a party if this ever happens again,” he concluded.

Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For Amy Coney Barrett To Be Supreme Court Justice

‘We Will Self-Destruct As A Party’: Mike Lee Warns Senate GOP After They Vote For Massive Omnibus Bill

Mike Lee Warns Senate GOP After They Vote For Massive Omnibus Bill

Mike Lee

U.S.