Why is he so upset? Because of the secret Republican time bomb in the government funding bill

By Matt Waterson (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
12/17/2014 (4 years ago)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)

The Senate has approved a $1.1 trillion spending bill, aimed to fund nearly the whole of the federal government through the 2015 fiscal year, ending weeks of drama in Congress and relieving doubts that the government might be shut down again while Democrats and Republicans squabble.

The federal government has funding through the 2015 fiscal year, but Republicans will have many opportunities to fight the president's programs in that time.

Highlights

By Matt Waterson (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
12/17/2014 (4 years ago)

Published in U.S.

Keywords: U.S., Government, Funding, Republicans, Democrats

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The spending bill was passed on December 13 by a vote of 56 to 40. Of the vote, 24 Republicans approved the bill, taking a softer stance against government waste than they claimed they would have.

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The bill was unpopular on both sides of the aisle in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

Republicans were angry because it did not stop President Obama's unilateral action to give amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants by defunding it for the next year and continued to give funding to Obamacare, and Democrats were upset because it eased regulations on banks and other businesses that have been traditional targets of the left.

The Republican Senators who voted for the measure were: Lamar Alexander (TN), Kelly Ayotte (NH), John Barrasso (WY), Roy Blunt (MO), John Boozman (AR), Richard Burr (NC), Dan Coats (IN), Thad Cochran (MS), Susan Collins (ME), John Cornyn (TX), Mike Enzi (WY), Deb Fischer (NE), Lindsey Graham (SC), Orrin Hatch (UT), John Hoeven (ND), Johnny Isakson (GA), Mike Johanns (NE), Mark Kirk (IL), Mitch McConnell (KY), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Pat Roberts (KS), John Thune (SD), Pat Toomey (PA) and Roger Wicker (MS).

Democrats, already predisposed to vote for major government funding bills, rallied with independents despite the bill's flaws, supporting it 32-22.

Still, there is a bright spot for Republicans. The bill that passed only funds Obama's immigration programs through February, and stops on the 27, which means the incoming, Republican dominated Congress will get another crack at stopping Obama's executive action then.

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