The fate of the $1.2 trillion government spending package was unclear as of Friday morning, with the House expected to vote within hours.
Congressional leaders introduced the 1,012-page bill around 3 a.m. Thursday, less than 48 hours before the federal funding deadline at midnight Friday. To avoid a partial government shutdown, the package must pass the House and Senate and then be signed by President Biden.
Multiple sources, including two Republican senators and a senior Republican aide, said they believed the bill would pass, but that it would be a close vote.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to vote on the $1.2 trillion funding package. (Getty Images)
One Republican lawmaker told Fox News Digital that he had to go home Thursday due to a family emergency, but was asked by House Republican leadership to return to vote Friday morning.
The bipartisan agreement suffered a blow late Thursday afternoon when one of the negotiators announced he would vote against it in the full House. She noted that some Democratic senators have made funding priorities for their districts, including LGBTQ centers and facilities that provide late-term abortions.
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House Speaker Mike Johnson must negotiate a bipartisan spending deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, pictured. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“This is not a bill that my subcommittee wrote or supported,” Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services (HHS), said Thursday. The Senate is free to accept their views.” Spending requests directed by Congress will never pass in the House. ”
“The House of Commons has not included these partisan funding projects in Labor and the Department of Health’s bill, and based on these principles, neither should the Senate,” Aderholt said. “I have multiple concerns, including that this bill would create many new social services for the millions of undocumented immigrants flowing across our border. In addition, the bill would provide funding to facilities that provide routine abortion services, including late-term abortions. I cannot and will not vote in favor of these projects or this bill.”
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Congressman Robert Aderholt voiced his opposition to the funding agreement that he helped negotiate.
The ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus also opposes the bill, accusing House Republican leaders of letting conservatives escape without a victory.
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This policy accounts for about 70% of the government’s discretionary spending. In contrast to mandatory spending, such as federal entitlements, discretionary spending is appropriated by Congress. This includes funding for the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, educational institutions, HHS, and the Legislature.
This is six of a total of 12 bills that Congress must pass each fiscal year to fund the government. Congress passed six other measures earlier this month totaling about $460 billion.
