The United States House of Representatives, on Wednesday (6/3) afternoon, passed a package of budget bills worth US$460 billion that will allow a number of key federal agencies to continue operating for the remainder of this fiscal year. The Senate is expected to discuss and pass the package before the government's budget deadline at midnight Friday (8/3).
House lawmakers are negotiating a second package of six bills, including the defense sector, in a bid to get all federal agencies fully funded before the March 22 deadline. Ultimately, total “discretionary spending” – or the budget officially approved by Congress and the President during each year's appropriations process – is expected to reach about $1.66 trillion for the full year.
A large number of House Republicans opposed the spending packages, forcing House Speaker Mike Johnson to use an expedited process by voice vote. This process requires the support of two-thirds of DPR members for the bill to be passed.
The DPR passed the budget bill with a vote of 339 to 85.
Budget cuts
The budget for non-defense expenditure in this year's budget is relatively flat compared to the previous year. Supporters of the package say keeping spending below the rate of inflation amounts to cuts, forcing agencies to save more and focus existing human resources on top priorities. Johnson said budget cuts at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached 10%, budget cuts at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reached 7%, while cuts to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) budget reached 6%.
However, many Republican members of Congress want bigger cuts and more policy outcomes. The House Freedom Caucus, made up of dozens of the Party's most conservative Republicans, is urging members of the party to oppose the first spending package, and oppose a second spending package currently under negotiation.
“Despite providing Democrats with higher levels of spending, the omnibus text released so far bumps up nearly all of the GOP's policy priorities,” the group said.
Johnson countered by saying Republicans only have a two-vote majority in the House while Democrats control the Senate and White House.
“We have to be realistic about what we can achieve,” Johnson said.
Prevention of conservative policies
Democrats succeeded in preventing most of the policies Republicans wanted to include in the package. For example, Democrats successfully thwarted efforts to block new rules expanding public access to the abortion pill mifepristone.
Democrats also said the bill would fully fund nutrition programs for low-income women, infants, and children (WIC), providing about $7 billion. This amount is an increase of $1 billion from the previous amount.
As part of those negotiations, Republicans are pushing to allow some states to ban the purchase of non-nutritious foods, such as sugary drinks and snacks, in the food stamp program known as SNAP.
Republican efforts have been unsuccessful for now, but supporters say they will try again in next year's spending bill.
“This bill certainly doesn't cover everything we wanted, but I'm very proud to say that we defeated most of the extreme cuts and hundreds of dangerous policies proposed by Republicans in the House,” said Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro. He holds the highest position on the House Appropriations Committee. (em/hour)