House Speaker Mike Johnson faced questions during his weekly press conference regarding the House GOP’s failure to pass 12 individual spending bills as previously promised. The House of Representatives recently approved a $460 billion bill to fund a portion of the federal government for the remainder of fiscal year 2024. Notably, more Democrats voted in favor of the bill than Republicans, leading to a 339-85 passing vote.
The issue of government funding has caused division within the House GOP, as Republican hardliners push for significant spending cuts and conservative policy riders. However, these proposals have been dismissed by the Democrats who control the White House and Senate. This disagreement has strained the House GOP’s slim majority throughout this congressional term.
The bipartisan legislation, totaling 1,050 pages, includes six bills that address the funding for various departments and agencies whose budget expires soon. These include Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Justice and Commerce Departments, Energy and Water Development, the Department of Interior, and Transportation and Housing.
While this bill averted a potential government shutdown, funding for the remaining six bills, which include the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon, will expire on March 22. Last month, it was reported that House GOP leaders planned to abandon their promise to pass 12 individual spending bills. Some sources blamed the Senate’s lack of action on the seven bills passed by the House, which contained elements that Democrats deemed unacceptable.
When confronted about this broken promise during his press conference, House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that change in Washington is incremental. He emphasized that dividing the 12 bills into at least two packages ended the Democrats’ practice of consolidating them into a massive “omnibus” spending bill, which has been the trend since 2018. Johnson argued that Washington lacks experience in handling multiple appropriations bills separately.
However, some GOP hardliners remain dissatisfied with the bill, claiming that Johnson did not fight hard enough for conservative policy reforms and deeper spending cuts. The House Freedom Caucus insisted that it still resembles an “omnibus” spending bill, without providing further details. They criticized the bill for not addressing Republican priorities, such as securing the southern border and ending the release of illegal immigrants into the United States.
On the other hand, Democrats celebrated the absence of right-wing measures, including restrictions on abortion access, transgender care, and critical race theory. Representative Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, highlighted the lack of conservative policy victories in the final deal.
The bill will now move to the Senate, where it is expected to pass before reaching President Biden’s desk. This development marks a significant step in the government funding process, but disagreements between Republicans and Democrats persist regarding spending levels and policy priorities.
Elizabeth Elkind, a politics reporter for Digital, has been closely covering the House of Representatives and providing updates on the latest developments. Her previous bylines can be found at Daily Mail and CBS News. For more political content and exclusive interviews, follow her on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to [email protected]. Stay subscribed to receive the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail.
