Being Speaker of the House with an extraordinarily slim majority is a really tough job. You have to cut deals because you have no other capacity to get anything done. That’s because given the fact there is a one-vote “motion to vacate” rule that is in place in the House of Representatives, any one member of the Republican caucus can challenge the job of the Speaker of the House at any given time.
It also means if a bunch of headline-grabbing people in the Republican caucus are more interested in being on television than in actually governing, maintaining a majority, or growing that majority to get big things done, that can hold up the works.
All this is coming to a head because House Speaker Mike Johnson has now put forward a series of bills related to foreign aid. 
Foreign aid is not the United States being wildly charitable. It is not the United States randomly deciding to drop goody bags in poor parts of the world. It does not involve simply sending food to Somalia or something of that nature. When it comes to foreign aid, there are always strings attached.
That&#8217;s what makes it in America&#8217;s interest. It’s the same way as attempting to sponsor a friend in order to accomplish a particular goal; you might lend or give that friend money to get back on their feet in order to make sure that person remains a friend or that an ally is able to be strong.
That is what American foreign aid does, and this has historically been the role of American foreign aid. In the aftermath of World War II, the United States effectively single-handedly rebuilt Europe with the Marshall Plan.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1950-will-america-s-cowardly-streak-continue-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h4>
A lot of people on the Republican side of the aisle have said that all foreign aid is somehow bad, terrible, useless, or, worse than useless, that it’s counterproductive because we&#8217;re not spending it at home; thus, we shouldn&#8217;t be spending it at all.
Such an argument is insanely shortsighted because there are two ways we spend our defense money. One: actual defense, meaning, for example, creating F-35s, F-22s, aircraft carriers, and submarines. Two: providing for our national defense by strengthening our allies.
When our allies are not strong, we have to step in and take the lead. It turns out that stepping in is a lot more expensive. Allies who are unable to defend themselves lead to enemies who are able to take advantage of that, thus threatening American interests and forcing American involvement. This has happened over and over in American history. When our allies are not strong enough, the United States ends up taking a lead role in areas we have no interest in being.
Foreign aid represents well under 1% of the federal budget of the United States nearly every year. Yet I have been noticing a lot of people screaming to the heavens about the cost of foreign aid: “Oh, I can&#8217;t believe how much this is costing.”
There are some people who are consistent libertarians. There are some people who say the government shouldn&#8217;t be spending on Social Security, disability, welfare, and foreign aid. That is, at least, a consistent position. I think it&#8217;s wrongheaded because America&#8217;s foreign policy interests require that we have strong allies who eventually will be able to take care of themselves.
But there is also a group of people in the Republican Party who are taking the view that foreign aid is a uniquely bad spend, that we&#8217;re wasting taxpayer dollars.
I don&#8217;t believe this is about fiscal responsibility, as they proclaim. When you continue to vote in favor of $5, $6, $7 trillion budgets every single year, but foreign aid is where you begin pinching pennies, I start to get a little suspicious.
We currently spend about 22% of our federal budget every year on Social Security, which is a giant Ponzi scheme because it is a defined benefits plan, not a defined contribution plan. What you pay in is not, in fact, what you get out. For most people, you get out way more from Social Security than you ever paid in. Health care, which is Medicare/Medicaid, represents about 26% of the federal budget. National defense only represents 13% of the federal budget.
So when you tell me that you are deeply worried about the less-than-one percent spent on foreign aid to allies in war time, I think that perhaps you have a different set of priorities.
That suggests to me that there may be a set of ulterior motives I don&#8217;t fully understand. I don&#8217;t really understand what the motivation is for those who seem to suggest that Russia taking Ukraine is of zero interest to the United States. Russia taking Ukraine would be of major interest to the United States, not only because Ukraine is the third largest producer of wheat on planet Earth, but also because Ukraine is strategically placed directly on the border between Russia and Europe, which is presumably the reason why Vladimir Putin wants it. It would be a danger to Eastern Europe, particularly the Baltic states, if Russia were to take Ukraine. 
Ukraine’s border being far from the borders of Lithuania and Latvia creates a massive problem for the Russian military. They would have to worry about NATO&#8217;s forces being deployed against Russia via Ukraine. It would free up American forces, NATO&#8217;s forces, and allied forces to fight an invasion of NATO&#8217;s allies like Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Right now, Ukraine is fighting NATO&#8217;s war. That is a reality. Ukraine is weakening the Russian military and providing a bulwark against NATO&#8217;s states being invaded.
The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/mike-johnsons-ukraine-israel-aid-plan-implodes-as-republicans-rebel-c5da23af" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on this, saying:
<blockquote>House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday he would plunge ahead with a high-stakes vote to move long-stalled funding for Ukraine, Israel and other overseas allies, elbowing aside criticism from his conservative flank. The move sets up an unpredictable weekend showdown that could determine both the fate of the foreign-aid package—and Johnson’s political career.</blockquote>
Democrats will line up behind the aid effort. Johnson&#8217;s plan is to bring the subjects of Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and the TikTok ban, and package all of them together. The reality is that all of them are going to pass with a majority of both parties voting in favor.
Yes, Johnson will require Democratic support in order to pass that bill. A majority of Republicans in the House will vote for that bill. Also, there is a Democratic Senate and a Democratic president, which means that if it is any priority for Ukraine not to simply fall by running out of ammo to the Russians, then you’ve got to make the deal that you can make.
In an interview <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/17/politics/mike-johnson-foreign-aid-analysis/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with CNN</a>, Johnson stated: 
<blockquote>Since World War II, really, the responsibility for the free world has been shifted onto our shoulders. And we accept that role. We&#8217;re an exceptional nation. We&#8217;re the greatest nation on the planet, and we have to act like it. And we have to project to Putin and Xi and Iran and North Korea and anybody else that we will defend freedom. It doesn&#8217;t mean boots on the ground. We&#8217;re not the world&#8217;s policeman, but we&#8217;re going to do the right thing. And I think the Congress is going to take an important stand here.</blockquote>
This is basic Reagan Republicanism. I know “Reagan” has become a dirty word for some reason, despite the fact Reagan won the Cold War and led to the greatest peacetime economic expansion in American history. Somehow, we&#8217;re supposed to believe a bunch of clowns riding the back seats of the House of Representatives, who have not actually accomplished anything in their entire political career, and have some really mean words about Ronald Reagan&#8217;s foreign policy.
Now, is this going to be a perfect bill? No. There&#8217;s going to be a bunch of crap in the bill you don&#8217;t like. There&#8217;s going to be a bunch of crap in the bill I don&#8217;t like. Is this bill perfect? No. Does it have a lot of problems? Yes. Is this bill necessary in order to preserve the strength of America&#8217;s allies? Yes.
That is why Johnson is right to move the bill forward. There’s also a politically important reason to do so: If you want Republicans to win a broader majority and actually make the serious kinds of cuts to government that are necessary, you need to win Congress by more than three votes. In order for that to happen, you have to win purple districts.
And the bill is relatively popular in purple districts, by every available polling metric.

US-POLITICS-CONGRESS-JOHNSON

Why Mike Johnson Is Correct

Ben Shapiro

Federal Government

Israel

Mike Johnson

Opinion

Readers Pass

Republicans

Social Security

Speaker of the House

Spending Bill

The Senate approved a $1.2 trillion spending package in a bipartisan vote during the early hours of Saturday morning, sending the bill to President Joe Biden, who will likely sign it as soon as possible to avoid a government shutdown.
After passing the House on Friday in a 286-134 vote, the Senate voted 74-24 at 2:00 a.m. on Saturday to send the more than 1,000-page spending package to Biden’s desk, The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4550761-senate-sends-1-2t-spending-bill-to-bidens-desk-in-late-night-vote/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Earlier this week, House and Senate leadership <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/congress-reaches-tentative-deal-to-avert-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that they had come to an agreement to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal 2024, which is nearly half over, covering the remaining spending bills that were not included in a $460 billion “minibus” that passed earlier this month.
“It’s been a very long and difficult day, but we have just reached an agreement to complete the job of funding the government,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer <a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-shutdown-budget-speaker-johnson-85dc1e93f6c49c154c02a166d0e8e784" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> just before the bill passed. “It is good for the country that we have reached this bipartisan deal. It wasn’t easy, but tonight our persistence has been worth it.”
Twenty-five Republicans <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2024/03/23/senate-vote-government-shutdown-bill-results/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> to pass the spending bill, along with 47 Democrats, while 22 Republicans voted against the $1.2 trillion package. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado, along with independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — who caucuses with the Democrats — also voted against the bill. Sanders cited a block of funding to UNRWA, an agency of the U.N., as a reason he voted against the bill, according to The Hill. During negotiations with Democrats, Republicans successfully secured the cut in funding to the UNRWA, whose workers have been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-n-aid-group-pleads-for-more-money-after-workers-linked-to-hamas-terrorists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">connected</a> to Hamas terrorists.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said on Tuesday that the final negotiations that were worked out between House and Senate leadership focused on appropriations for the Homeland Security Department (DHS). The $1.2 trillion package covers funding for the Legislative Branch, Financial Services and General Government, and the Departments of Defense, State, Health and Human Services, Labor, Homeland Security, and related agencies.
Republican hardliners in the House and Senate slammed the bill as the 1,000 pages were released overnight and less than two days before the deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown.
“At 2:32 am — when Americans were sleeping — the Swamp released its second half of the omnibus. 1,012 pages that spend $1.2 TRILLION of taxpayer dollars on disastrous policies,” Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) posted on X on Thursday. “The House is still expected to vote on this monstrosity TOMORROW MORNING. Washington is beyond broken.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
At 2:32 am—when Americans were sleeping—the Swamp released its second half of the omnibus.
1,012 pages that spend $1.2 TRILLION of taxpayer dollars on disastrous policies.
The House is still expected to vote on this monstrosity TOMORROW MORNING.
Washington is beyond broken. <a href="https://t.co/AlZCDYWBKK">pic.twitter.com/AlZCDYWBKK</a>
&mdash; Rep. Andrew Clyde (@Rep_Clyde) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rep_Clyde/status/1770798784320081946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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After a bipartisan majority in the House and Senate approved the spending package, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) <a href="https://twitter.com/BasedMikeLee/status/1771425405339402257" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, “I did everything I could to stop it. And improve it.”
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“But far too many Republicans wanted to spend like Democrats,” Lee added. “Those of us who saw this bill as an unmitigated disaster were sadly outnumbered. I voted ‘no.’”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) took her frustration a step further after the House passed the package and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-files-motion-to-oust-mike-johnson-as-house-speaker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a motion</a> to oust Speaker Johnson on Friday, saying, “No Republican in the House of Representatives can in good conscience vote for this bill.”
Johnson defended expediting the spending omnibus through the House earlier this week, saying, “We have to govern,” The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/mike-johnson-ignores-gop-critics-signals-fast-vote-on-avoiding-shutdown-21795a85" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“We have to demonstrate that we can keep this thing together and keep the train on the tracks,” the speaker added.
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

Senate

Senate Passes Massive Spending Bill In Middle Of The Night

Congress

Joe Biden

Politics

U.S. House of Representatives

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX)

GOP Hardliners Knock $1.2 Trillion ‘Swamp’ Spending Plan To Avert Shutdown

GOP Hardliners Knock $1.2 Trillion 'Swamp' Spending Plan To Avert Shutdown

Chip Roy

Government Shutdown

Rand Paul

U.S.

Congressional leaders announced on Tuesday that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> negotiators have reached a tentative agreement to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal 2024, which is nearly half over.
If it holds, the deal would cover the remaining spending bills that were not included in a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/us/politics/house-spending-bill-shutdown.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$460 billion</a> <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/murray-top-appropriators-release-minibus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;minibus&#8221;</a> that passed earlier this month. Lawmakers have until the end of this week to avert a partial shutdown for the unfunded agencies, which include the Departments of Defense, State, Health and Human Services, and others.
&#8220;Senate and House leaders and the White House have reached an agreement to finish the final set of full year appropriations bills,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1770074134522839295" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;The Senate and House Appropriations Committees are in the process of finalizing text and reports for Congress to closely review and consider ASAP.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Senate and House leaders and the White House have reached an agreement to finish the final set of full year appropriations bills.
The Senate and House Appropriations Committees are in the process of finalizing text and reports for Congress to closely review and consider ASAP.
&mdash; Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1770074134522839295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) indicated that appropriations for the Homeland Security Department (DHS) was the final sticking point that negotiators had to work out before a resolution was reached.
&#8220;An agreement has been reached for DHS appropriations, which will allow completion of the FY24 appropriations process,&#8221; Johnson <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1770073371079802902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;House and Senate committees have begun drafting bill text to be prepared for release and consideration by the full House and Senate as soon as possible.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
An agreement has been reached for DHS appropriations, which will allow completion of the FY24 appropriations process. 
House and Senate committees have begun drafting bill text to be prepared for release and consideration by the full House and Senate as soon as possible.
&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1770073371079802902?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Not everyone is on board with the spending deal, even though lawmakers have yet to unveil the final text of the legislation. A few dozen Republican members, led by the conservative House Freedom Caucus, released a <a href="https://twitter.com/freedomcaucus/status/1769825731389845659" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> on Thursday urging the House GOP to use the &#8220;power of the purse&#8221; to rein in the Biden administration&#8217;s &#8220;&#8216;open borders&#8217; policies.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
HFC Chairman <a href="https://twitter.com/RepBobGood?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepBobGood</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RepChipRoy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepChipRoy</a> led 41 fellow Republicans in urging the <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HouseGOP</a> to use the power of the purse in this week’s government funding bill to dismantle Biden’s disastrous “open borders” policies, otherwise Republicans will be actively funding this crisis. <a href="https://t.co/BBR7GW0Pw0">pic.twitter.com/BBR7GW0Pw0</a>
&mdash; House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) <a href="https://twitter.com/freedomcaucus/status/1769825731389845659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The letter&#8217;s 43 signatures indicate that a second &#8220;minibus,&#8221; if it were to pass the House this week, might do so with more Democrat votes than Republican votes in the narrowly divided lower chamber.
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If there is a hangup on one or more parts of the spending package, Congress may opt to pass yet another stop-gap measure.
President Joe Biden released a <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferShutt/status/1770081885701480936" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Tuesday saying that he had reached an agreement &#8220;on a path forward&#8221; with congressional leaders and would sign the resulting package &#8220;immediately&#8221; once it reached his desk.
The White House is already looking ahead to what comes next, with Biden <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/11/politics/2025-biden-budget-proposal-explainer/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposing</a> earlier this month a roughly $7.3 trillion budget for fiscal 2025. The new fiscal year begins on October 1.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

Congress Reaches Tentative Deal To Avert Shutdown

Border Crisis

Chuck Schumer

Department of Homeland Security

Executive

President Joe Biden signed a $459 billion spending plan on Saturday to fund a number of prominent government departments and agencies just hours after the Senate approved the package in a 75-22 vote after rejecting a host of conservative-backed amendments. 
The spending package, which was <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1182/vote_118_2_00084.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposed</a> by 21 Republican senators and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), will <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4366" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fund</a> the Defense Department, the Department of Veteran Affairs, the Agriculture Department, the FDA, the Transportation Department, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the FBI, the EPA, and the ATF. 
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://www.fox29.com/news/congress-passes-460-billion-in-spending-bills-avoiding-government-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrated</a> the passage of the bill, saying that it demonstrated that the House and Senate could work together. 
&#8220;To folks who worry that divided government means nothing ever gets done, this bipartisan package says otherwise,&#8221; Schumer said. 
The bill, which was criticized by conservative lawmakers for how many earmarks it included, was passed ahead of a deadline that could have led to a partial government shutdown. 
It was supported by Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as well as Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Sen. John Thune (R-SD), both of whom are running to replace McConnell. 
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was critical of the bill, saying that there was bipartisan consensus to keep adding to the national debt. 
&#8220;A lot of people don&#8217;t understand this. They think there is no cooperation in Washington and the opposite is true. There is compromise every day on every spending bill,” Paul <a href="https://justthenews.com/government/congress/senate-passes-460-billion-spending-package?utm_source=daily&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “It’s compromise between big-government Democrats and big-government Republicans.”
One amendment, from Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN), to ensure that illegal aliens are not counted toward the apportionment of congressional seats and electoral votes failed 51-45, with all Democrats opposing. 
“Today Democrats proved they will vote for anything that preserves their own power — even using illegal immigration to compromise Americans’ voting rights,” Haggerty <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorHagerty/status/1766287236067139983" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
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Other amendments from Republicans included efforts from Sen. Rick Scott (FL) to remove all of the earmarks out of the bill and an amendment that would have blocked the FDA’s promotion of the abortion drug mifepristone. 
“Earmarks incentivize the wrong thing in Congress — spending too much money — by rewarding senators and representatives for supporting bloated &amp; otherwise-problematic spending bills,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Earmarks incentivize the wrong thing in Congress — spending too much money — by rewarding senators and representatives for supporting bloated &amp; otherwise-problematic spending bills.
&mdash; Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) <a href="https://twitter.com/BasedMikeLee/status/1766465645280121271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The Senate’s passage of the spending package comes after the House approved it earlier this week after opposition from some conservative lawmakers who said it didn’t cut enough spending.

U.S. Congress Wrangles With Agreement To Solve Government Shutdown

Biden Signs $459 Billion Spending Package After Senate Rejects Conservative Amendments

National Debt

U.S. Senate

The GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> passed a six-bill package, reportedly worth about <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/us/politics/house-spending-bill-shutdown.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$460 billion</a>, on Wednesday that seeks to fund part of the federal government through the remainder of the 2024 fiscal year after lawmakers resorted to passing multiple stop-gap measures in recent months to avert a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/government-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government shutdown</a>.
<a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202464" target="_blank" rel="noopener">By a 339-85 vote</a>, a <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/majority/murray-top-appropriators-release-minibus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;minibus&#8221;</a> of six appropriations spending bills advanced out of the House ahead of a deadline on March 8. Eighty-three Republicans were joined by two Democrats in opposing the measure that provides funds to various facets of the federal government through September. The legislation now heads to the Democrat-controlled Senate ahead of a March 8 deadline. It has the support of the <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-statement-on-congress-reaching-a-bipartisan-agreement-on-the-first-six-appropriations-bills-to-keep-the-government-funded" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate leadership</a> as well as the <a href="https://twitter.com/slisker/status/1765108967028510856" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White House</a>.
&#8220;With the odds stacked against us, House Republicans made progress in how we fund the government. We drafted the most conservative bills in history. Members submitted over one thousand amendments. We considered house bills individually on the floor, and we avoided a massive omnibus measure,&#8221; <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/news/statements/granger-remarks-during-floor-consideration-hres-consolidated-appropriations-act-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX). &#8220;​​​​In total, we increased defense funding and made targeted cuts. We also maintained legacy riders that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle wanted to remove.&#8221;
The package covers Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration; Commerce, Justice, and Science; Energy and Water Development; Interior and Environment; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; Transportation, Housing and Urban Development; and related agencies. Six other appropriations bills still need to be hashed out by congressional negotiators. They still have time, as the latest stop-gap measure provided a March 22 deadline to keep the remaining federal agencies funded.
Lawmakers passed the minibus under <a href="https://www.congress.gov/help/legislative-glossary#glossary_suspensionoftherules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspension of the rules</a>, a mechanism that allows leadership to limit debate and prohibit floor amendments while requiring a two-thirds majority for the legislation to prevail.
With the vast majority of his caucus supporting the package on Wednesday, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries/status/1765490284035518903" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took a victory lap</a> on social media. He said, &#8220;The House passed legislation to prevent a government shutdown. We also invest billions to protect affordable housing, combat the climate crisis and support nutrition for women, infants and children. Democrats provided a majority of the votes needed to get it done. Once again.&#8221;
Leaders from both parties in the House and Senate announced on Sunday that they had reached a bipartisan agreement for the first six appropriations bills. But the deal quickly drew the ire of some conservatives who took issue with a bevy of funding subsets for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pa-senators-fetterman-and-casey-withdraw-request-for-1m-to-fund-lgbt-center" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pet projects</a> attached to the legislation and <a href="https://twitter.com/RepTimBurchett/status/1765417732114145293" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised concerns</a> about Congress not doing more to rein in the national debt that has <a href="https://www.usdebtclock.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">swelled beyond $34 trillion</a>.
&#8220;Budget gimmicks and earmarks are an intoxicating cocktail,&#8221; Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/1765495870257086959" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X on Wednesday. &#8220;After 14 months sober, Congress has fallen off the wagon. By a vote of 339 to 85, the Republican led House just passed a minibus that spends tens of billions more than Pelosi’s House spent on the same things last year.&#8221;
The two Democrats who opposed the minibus — Reps. <a href="https://twitter.com/MaxwellFrostFL/status/1765487823346336223" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maxwell Frost</a> (D-FL) and <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1765451301192687842" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Takano</a> (D-CA) — cited objections to a particular gun-related provision for veterans.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), whose party has a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/slim-house-gop-majority-gets-narrower" target="_blank" rel="noopener">narrow majority</a> in the lower chamber, said in a statement over the weekend that House Republicans managed to push federal spending priorities away from those found in the <a href="https://rollcall.com/2022/12/22/senate-passes-1-7-trillion-omnibus-spending-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1.7 trillion omnibus appropriations legislation</a> for fiscal 2023 that passed under Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
&#8220;House Republicans secured key conservative policy victories, rejected left-wing proposals, and imposed sharp cuts to agencies and programs critical&#8221; to President Joe Biden’s agenda, he <a href="https://www.speaker.gov/speaker-johnson-statement-on-fy24-appropriations-legislation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;This legislation forbids the Department of Justice from targeting parents exercising their right to free speech before school boards, while it blocks the Biden Administration from stripping Second Amendment rights from veterans. It imposes deep cuts to the EPA, ATF, and FBI, which under the Biden Administration have threatened our freedoms and our economy, while it fully funds veterans’ health care.&#8221;

Rep. Kay Granger

House Passes $460 Billion Package Of Spending Bills Ahead Of Partial Shutdown Deadline

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pennsylvania" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pennsylvania</a>&#8216;s senators, both Democrats, have withdrawn a request for $1 million in taxpayer money to support a renovation and expansion project for an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lgbtq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LGBT</a> center in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/philadelphia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philadelphia</a> after federal funds for the organization were <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/william-way-house-republicans-funding-lgbtq-organizations-boyle-houlahan-democrats-20230718.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blocked</a> in the House last year.
Sens. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-fetterman">John Fetterman</a> (D-PA) and Bob Casey (D-PA) wrote to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday to declare they no longer want an earmark for the William Way LGBT Community Center in spending legislation for the current fiscal year.
&#8220;After further review, I am writing to withdraw my support and request the removal of the below Fiscal Year 2024 Congressionally Directed Spending project included in the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/cdsletters24/THUD_Casey_CDS_Updated_Certification_24_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two</a> <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/cdsletters24/THUD_Fetterman_CDS_Updated_Certification_24.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letters</a> said.
The senators had earlier requested the $1 million for &#8220;The William Way Renovation and Expansion Project&#8221; which Casey&#8217;s letter said would &#8220;renovate and expand the existing LGBT Community Center into an inclusive, fully accessible, and welcoming space for all individuals to gather, learn, and find life-giving support.&#8221;
Word of the $1 million earmark request getting pulled spread on social media on Tuesday evening. The popular Libs of TikTok account on X, run by Chaya Raichik, <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1765189101429637283" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> a screenshot of the letter signed by Fetterman. She noted that it followed the account&#8217;s &#8220;Exposé&#8221; featuring screenshots of advertisements for adults-only events at the center that featured sexually explicit content.
Fetterman released a <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1765438467146756503" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> on Wednesday praising the William Way LGBT Community Center but acknowledged his funding request would not make it through the appropriations process. He blamed Republicans.
&#8220;The William Way LGBT Community Center has been doing critical work in Philadelphia for decades. I do not believe that we should penalize this center based on events that are entirely legal among consenting adults. I have no problem with what consenting adults do in their private time,&#8221; Fetterman said.
&#8220;Unfortunately, at the 11th hour my staff was made aware that funding for William Way, which was in the bill because I championed it, would not pass in the FY24 appropriations process. The choice was either to pull it or watch it get stripped out, attacked by Republicans, and ultimately killed. This is not the end of this fight and I am going to fight for William Way to secure their funding in the FY25 appropriations process,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I’m new here, but I wasn’t aware that Democratic values and priorities are dictated by Libs of TikTok.&#8221;
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Congressional leaders <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/28/politics/house-votes-government-funding/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last week they had reached a deal on several appropriations bills, including the one for Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, with the goal of passing them by March 8. Other spending bills to fund other facets of the federal government have a deadline of March 22 thanks to another stop-gap measure.
Rep. Brandon Boyle (D-PA), who represents a district in the Philadelphia area, had also <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/documents/FY24%20Transportation%2C%20Housing%20and%20Urban%20Development%2C%20and%20Related%20Agencies%20-%20CPF%20Table%20Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requested</a> the $1 million earmark for the William Way LGBT Community Center. While the request appears in a <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/documents/FY24%20Transportation%2C%20Housing%20and%20Urban%20Development%2C%20and%20Related%20Agencies%20-%20CPF%20Table%20Final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Final Table&#8221;</a> of community funding projects on the House Appropriations Committee website, an <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/republicans.appropriations.house.gov/files/documents/FY24%20Transportation%2C%20Housing%20and%20Urban%20Development%2C%20and%20Related%20Agencies%20-%20CPF%20Table%20Final%20Updated%203.6.2024.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;Updated Table&#8221;</a> does not include the item. The <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy24_thud_cds_table.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">same</a> <a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy24_thud_cds_table_updated.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deletion</a> is reflected on the Senate Appropriations Committee website.
As recently as Sunday, Boyle had been celebrating funds for the center that have since disappeared. &#8220;House Republicans tried to strip funding I secured for the William Way LGBT Community Center here in Philadelphia,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/CongBoyle/status/1764464454492672092" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X, alluding to a previous $1.8 million earmark that got <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/politics/pennsylvania/william-way-house-republicans-funding-lgbtq-organizations-boyle-houlahan-democrats-20230718.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blocked</a> in committee last year. &#8220;I&#8217;m happy to announce that their bigotry lost — and that this much-needed funding for the William Way Center was included in the 2024 funding bills released today.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to Casey&#8217;s office, Boyle&#8217;s office, and the William Way LGBT Community Center seeking comment on the withdrawal request.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA)

PA Senators Fetterman And Casey Withdraw Request For $1M To Fund LGBT Center

PA Senators Fetterman And Casey Withdraw Request For $1M In Funds For LGBT Center

John Fetterman

LGBT

LGBTQ

Pennsylvania

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-lee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Lee</a> (R-UT) is spearheading an effort to slow down the passage of spending legislation that may combine <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ukraine-russia-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine aid</a> with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/border-crisis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">border security reforms</a>.
The conservative lawmaker <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMikeLee/status/1749957872115478945" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> this week he would be offering a resolution to GOP colleagues as bipartisan negotiations on a deal appear to be nearing a close with the encouragement of leadership.
&#8220;Resolved, the Senate Republican conference will oppose cloture on any supplemental spending bill containing border provisions without adequate time to review and offer and vote on floor amendments,&#8221; the resolution says, according to Lee.
Cloture is invoked when a three-fifths majority of the 100-member chamber, or <a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible" href="https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/filibusters-cloture.htm#:~:text=That%20year%2C%20the%20Senate%20adopted,of%20the%20100%2Dmember%20Senate." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/filibusters-cloture.htm#:~:text=That%20year%2C%20the%20Senate%20adopted,of%20the%20100%2Dmember%20Senate." data-sk="tooltip_parent">60 senators</a>, vote to end debate and stifle filibuster attempts. Lee would need 41 members to prevail. Republicans currently make up half the Senate.
The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4426454-mike-lee-senate-gop-ukraine-border-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> Lee urged his colleagues during the meeting on Wednesday to push for at least three weeks to allow senators to review the legislation.
Lee provided an update to X, saying his &#8220;resolution that Senate GOP must publicly debate any so-called &#8216;border deal'&#8221; was now co-sponsored by nine other Republicans.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 🚨 🚨 
UPDATE: my resolution that Senate GOP must publicly debate any so-called “border deal” is now cosponsored by <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JDVance1</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RogerMarshallMD</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@marcorubio</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MarshaBlackburn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarshaBlackburn</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/RandPaul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RandPaul</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenRickScott</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRonJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenRonJohnson</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorBraun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenatorBraun</a>, &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HawleyMO</a>. <a href="https://t.co/qdmeFpYp6b">https://t.co/qdmeFpYp6b</a>
&mdash; Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMikeLee/status/1750177524464615731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Some of the GOP lawmakers listed in Lee&#8217;s post to X criticized the deal before its unveiling.
&#8220;A &#8216;deal&#8217; will allow [President Joe] Biden to pretend he’s doing something about the border but it won’t solve the problem. If he won’t even enforce our existing law he is NOT going to enforce even tougher ones,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1750145546486940022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL).
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&#8220;Democrats want an open border and are negotiating for political cover,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRonJohnson/status/1749959096109801839" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI). &#8220;Republicans must insist that anything we support will actually secure the border and effectively force Biden and the Democrats to honor the agreement and enforce the law.&#8221;
Biden&#8217;s request last year for roughly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/whats-bidens-106-billion-supplemental-funding-request-2023-10-20/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$106 billion</a> in supplemental funds to spend on U.S. allies, such as Ukraine and Israel, as well as border security, has led to bipartisan talks on attaching an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-biden-border-ukraine-immigration-deal-optimism-white-house-meet-rcna134284" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immigration reform deal</a>.
Democrat and Republican senators who are leading the discussions have indicated <a href="https://twitter.com/UrsulaPerano/status/1749527639704957414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">they are close</a> to an agreement but <a href="https://twitter.com/alexanderbolton/status/1749527408414212508" target="_blank" rel="noopener">do not expect</a> details to be released this week.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) <a href="https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=0974F4F4-1FF4-45CC-BE8B-9B45659E88CA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Monday that negotiators are working to &#8220;finalize the most substantial border security policy in thirty years&#8221; and their agreement &#8220;would come not a moment too soon.&#8221; Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Democrats <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1749568015992021389" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are &#8220;serious&#8221;</a> about wrapping up the supplemental.

Sen. Mike Lee

Mike Lee Rallies Support For Giving Senators ‘Adequate Time’ To Consider Border Deal

Mike Lee Rallies Support For Giving Senators 'Adequate Time' To Consider Border Deal

Mike Lee

Ukraine-Russia War

The GOP-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> voted on Thursday to pass another short-term spending bill to avert a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/government-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government shutdown</a> over the objection of a group of conservative members who were angling to get <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/14-house-democrats-vote-to-denounce-biden-admins-open-borders-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">border security</a> reforms <a href="https://twitter.com/MicaSoellnerDC/status/1748038026708582796" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attached</a> and rein in the national debt.
By a <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1748101919938130258" target="_blank" rel="noopener">314-108 tally</a>, which was bipartisan, the lower chamber approved a measure to fund the various federal agencies in two stages: some through March 1 and others through March 8. Because the Democrat-controlled Senate already passed the spending legislation by a <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/votes_new.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">77-18 vote</a>, the bill now heads to the White House, where President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> will likely sign it.
The stop-gap spending measure will give lawmakers more time to hash out their differences on fiscal 2024 legislation that has already been pushed back multiple times. The latest deadline for a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/johnson-led-house-passes-bill-to-avert-government-shutdown-with-dem-support" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prior two-step continuing resolution</a> was set to be the end of Friday, but further votes this week are <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/01/16/house-cancels-vote-snowstorm-government-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">getting canceled</a> with a winter storm in the forecast for Washington, D.C.
Senators overcame the <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1748067395636183165" target="_blank" rel="noopener">60-vote threshold</a> to pass the legislation earlier on Thursday after they voted 50-44 to reject an <a href="https://www.congress.gov/amendment/118th-congress/senate-amendment/1384/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">amendment</a> offered by Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/rand-paul" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rand Paul</a> (R-KY) to restrain aid to the Palestinians until all hostages abducted by Hamas in the terrorist attacks on Israel are released and other conditions.
In the House, 207 Democrats joined with 107 Republicans to <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202415" target="_blank" rel="noopener">achieve the two-thirds majority vote</a> necessary to pass the bill. Two Democrats and 106 Republicans, including House GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), voted against the measure while 11 members did not vote.
Members of the conservative Freedom Caucus <a href="https://twitter.com/RajShahDC/status/1748051298618888248" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed</a> GOP leadership to <a href="https://twitter.com/emilybrooksnews/status/1748043744186618095" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tack on</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseInSession/status/1748052558503956838" target="_blank" rel="noopener">border security policy changes</a>, but to no avail. The group <a href="https://twitter.com/freedomcaucus/status/1748077616635007478" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> an &#8220;official position&#8221; urging Republicans to &#8220;uphold commitments to end inflationary spending and secure the border&#8221; and specifically called on conservatives to &#8220;oppose the Johnson-Schumer CR.&#8221;
The leaders referenced by the Freedom Caucus, House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chuck-schumer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chuck Schumer</a> (D-NY), joined other top members of Congress for a meeting with Biden at the White House on Wednesday to discuss a national security funding request for U.S. allies such as Ukraine and Israel as well as border security while a bipartisan group of senators try to hash out an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-biden-border-ukraine-immigration-deal-optimism-white-house-meet-rcna134284" target="_blank" rel="noopener">immigration deal</a>.
&#8220;I told President Biden: it’s on you,&#8221; Johnson <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1747781756999098651" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X. &#8220;Your policies created the border crisis. Your executive action can end it. House Republicans will continue to demand transformative policy change and hold this administration accountable until the border is secure.&#8221;

House Speaker Mike Johnson

House Passes Another Short-Term Spending Bill, Rejecting Conservative Bid For Border Attachment

Budget

House Republicans

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> passed a bill late Saturday night to keep the U.S. government open and running through mid-November.
The bill was passed 88-9 with Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Mike Lee (R-UT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Rand Paul (R-KY), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and J.D. Vance (R-OH) voting &#8220;no.&#8221;
The Senate passed the bill after the House passed the bill earlier in the day with 335 votes — 209 Democrats and 126 Republicans.
The funding includes $16 billion in &#8220;disaster relief funds, an extension of a federal flood insurance program and FAA reauthorization — but no Ukraine aid,&#8221; The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/30/government-shutdown-updates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
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The passage of the bill came just hours before the U.S. government was set to shut down at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday.
After voting “no” on the bill, Paul said, “When I said I&#8217;d do everything I could to stop the U.S. government from being held hostage to Ukraine, I meant it.”
“We cannot continue to put the needs of other countries above our own,” he said. “We cannot save Ukraine by dooming the U.S. economy. I&#8217;m grateful to all Members of Congress who stood with me, but the battle to fund our government isn&#8217;t over yet &#8211; the forever-war crowd will return.”
President Joe Biden released a statement following the bill&#8217;s passage praising both parties for being able to work together to avert a shutdown. He went on to sign the bill late Saturday night.
&#8220;Tonight, bipartisan majorities in the House and Senate voted to keep the government open, preventing an unnecessary crisis that would have inflicted needless pain on millions of hardworking Americans,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/30/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-passage-of-the-bipartisan-bill-to-keep-the-government-open/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;This bill ensures that active-duty troops will continue to get paid, travelers will be spared airport delays, millions of women and children will continue to have access to vital nutrition assistance, and so much more. This is good news for the American people.&#8221;
This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-BUDGET

Senate Passes Bill To Keep U.S. Government Open Through Mid-November

Kevin McCarthy

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. House</a> overwhelmingly passed a stopgap spending measure to prevent a government shutdown for 45 days that avoids sending additional aid to Ukraine.
The measure, which includes $16 billion for U.S. disaster relief aid, passed 335-91 with nearly every Democrat joining a majority of Republicans in voting to pass the bill after Democrat House Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) told members of his caucus to vote in favor of it, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/live-blog/live-updates-government-shutdown-set-begin-midnight-rcna118172" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The bill now heads to the Senate where leaders are expected to ask members to approve an expedited vote in an attempt to pass the continuing resolution later in the day on Saturday before the deadline hits at 12:01 Sunday.
&#8220;The House just passed a short-term stop-gap measure that will keep the government open, pay our troops, and fully fund disaster relief,&#8221; House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said following the measure&#8217;s passage. &#8220;Now, the Senate must act.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The House just passed a short-term stop-gap measure that will keep the government open, pay our troops, and fully fund disaster relief. Now, the Senate must act. <a href="https://t.co/7I8R6bwK5d">https://t.co/7I8R6bwK5d</a>
&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1708196532351348963?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) reportedly argued against proceeding with the House&#8217;s CR because it did not have funding for Ukraine, but he was ultimately overruled by Republicans. GOP senators in favor of continuing to aid Ukraine believe Congress will pass additional funding to the European country after agreeing to a long-term spending package in the near future.
While President Joe Biden&#8217;s request for disaster relief aid made it into the stopgap measure, the administration was unhappy with the lack of support for Ukraine in the measure. After the House passed the CR, the White House pressured McCarthy to pass a separate bill that provides funding to Ukraine.
&#8220;We fully expect Speaker McCarthy—who has stated his support for funding to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s illegal and unjustified war of aggression—will bring a separate bill to the floor shortly,&#8221; a White House official said in a statement.
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A chorus of Republicans in the House and Senate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jd-vance-blasts-democrats-for-blocking-spending-bill-that-didnt-include-aid-to-ukraine-as-govt-nears-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strongly opposed</a> any spending package that includes additional funding to Ukraine. Last week, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said he would not allow an expedited funding bill that includes financial support for Ukraine to make it quickly through the Senate. Meanwhile, a group of other Republicans, led by Sen. JD Vance and Texas Rep. Chip Roy, sent a letter to Shalanda Young, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, saying that they, too, would oppose further aid to Ukraine.
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“The American people deserve to know what their money has gone to. How is the counteroffensive going? Are the Ukrainians any closer to victory than they were 6 months ago? What is our strategy, and what is the president’s exit plan? What does the administration define as victory in Ukraine?” the letter asked. “It would be an absurd abdication of congressional responsibility to grant this request without knowing the answers to these questions.”

House Passes Stopgap Spending Measure With No Additional Support For Ukraine

Jamaal Bowman

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives">House</a> nixed plans for more votes this week after GOP leadership failed to advance a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-defense">defense</a> spending bill a second time as the government heads toward a possible <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/government-shutdown">shutdown</a> in nine days.
Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), the majority whip, announced on Thursday that the House stood in recess. He said no further votes were expected for the rest of the day, discussions related to appropriations were ongoing, and the Rules Committee remained on-call throughout the weekend.
&#8220;Members are advised that ample notice will be given ahead of any potential votes tomorrow or this weekend,&#8221; Emmer <a href="https://twitter.com/Olivia_Beavers/status/1704935699999289573">added</a>. &#8220;Please stay tuned to future updates for more information.&#8221;
House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) faced a setback earlier in the day when a small group of Republicans joined with Democrats in shooting down a bid to start consideration of a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4365/text?s=1&amp;r=4&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22H.R.+4365%22%7D">defense appropriations bill</a>. The tally was <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2023403">216-212</a>, with slightly more GOP holdouts voting against advancing the legislation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-fails-to-pass-defense-spending-bill-after-mccarthy-delays-short-term-funding-vote">than there were earlier in the week</a>.
&#8220;I just voted NO to the rule for the Defense bill because they refused to take the war money for Ukraine out and put it in a separate bill,&#8221; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMTG/status/1704880597951267222">said</a> in a post to X, adding that polling shows growing opposition to Congress authorizing more <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4137491-most-say-congress-should-not-authorize-more-funding-for-ukraine-survey/">funding for the Ukraine-Russia war</a>.
A government shutdown could happen at the end of the month if lawmakers fail to come to an agreement on spending legislation to fund various federal agencies in the next fiscal year. Ultimately, both chambers of Congress and the White House need to come to an agreement for any bill to get final approval.
Talk of a short-term spending bill drawn up by the GOP-controlled House prompted backlash from <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSchumer/status/1704174908664660447">Senate Democrats</a>, as well as some <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1704605784813011144">House conservatives</a> who are pushing for concessions. McCarthy even <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/19/house-republicans-spending-vote/">nixed a procedural vote</a> on a 30-day continuing resolution amid the opposition from fellow Republicans.
Now with the recess, the plan is to try and pass the remaining 11 out of 12 individual appropriations bills starting next week despite the likelihood that the Democrat-led Senate will oppose that strategy, too, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1704938129679958284">multiple</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MZanona/status/1704941964959810011">reporters</a>. The House <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2023/07/27/va-funding-plan-passes-house-with-more-controversial-provisions/">passed</a> a Veterans Affairs spending bill in July.
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McCarthy is working to navigate the spending ordeal as he faces threats from within his own party about a bid to oust him from the speakership. Last week, the California Republican <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-responds-to-threats-to-oust-him-as-speaker">said</a> the &#8220;threats don&#8217;t matter&#8221; and that he would keep focusing on &#8220;what’s the right thing to do for the American people.&#8221;
President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> took aim at Republicans in a speech last week, criticizing them over their effort to secure cuts in spending and a commitment to what he called &#8220;<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-address-budget-cuts-government-shutdown-thursday-speech-2023-09-14/">MAGAnomics</a>.&#8221; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), in a weekend interview with ABC News, said House Republicans were <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/hakeem-jeffries-says-house-republicans-are-civil-war-rcna105468">engaged in a &#8220;civil war.&#8221;</a>
Former President Donald Trump, who is running a 2024 campaign for a second term in the White House, urged congressional Republicans to <a href="https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1704799596931592573">&#8220;defund all aspects&#8221;</a> of what he said was Biden&#8217;s &#8220;weaponized&#8221; government.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy

House Aims To Regroup As Spending Defeats Pile Up

House Aims To Regroup Amid Standoff On Spending

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