Staff Reports
Joe Biden, in what can only be described as a fast-paced dance with government spending, has officially put his signature on the recent government spending bill known as the American Relief Act, 2025. This ceremonious act took place on a leisurely Saturday, shortly after the House of Representatives, with Speaker Mike Johnson leading what was presumably a busier agenda, managed to push the bill through. To no one’s surprise, the Senate followed suit like a well-rehearsed marching band under the oversight of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Clearly, the Democrats threw a victory party, and the Republicans, as it seems, were less than thrilled about being the guests who showed up uninvited. Not a single Democrat voted against this fiscal fiasco—196 voting for it while a mere few took an early exit for their Christmas vacations. Meanwhile, a cabal of 170 Republicans joined the festivities, giving their approval for this legislative gift. Only 34 had the audacity to oppose it, while the rest must have been dreaming of holiday cookies instead of fiscal responsibility.
Joe Biden just signed the spending bill which has averted a government shutdown.
This isn’t a win for America. Speaker Johnson caved.
Why else would so many Democrats vote for the bill? pic.twitter.com/tgqUvQFRMX
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) December 21, 2024
Among the parade of delighted Democrats, there seems to be one Republican who might not share in the jubilation—Speaker Mike Johnson. The GOP’s latest ruckus is starting to feel like a full-blown reality show, leading some political insiders to guess that his days leading the House might be numbered. After all, how many wins can a party claim after allowing the Democrats to walk all over them like they’re playing hopscotch on their good intentions?
The nuts and bolts of the American Relief Act read like an extended shopping list for government agencies. The bill conveniently kicks the can down the road until March 14, 2025, a legislative sleight of hand designed to dodge any hard choices and budget discussions for another day. It keeps in place the spending levels that have already drawn the ire of fiscal conservatives and practically guarantees more government project funding and economic band-aids. Nothing screams “we learned our lesson” quite like kicking financial responsibility into the next election cycle.
Fast forward to the smooth processing of this bill in the Senate, where a vote result of 85 to 11 left little doubt about the outcome. The clock struck midnight, and instead of a fairy-tale ending for fiscal conservatism, it appears the only magic was performed by the Democrats. That’s right; the Republicans, fresh off their electoral victory in 2024, managed to make it look like they were simply coat-tailing into the victory instead of leading the charge as champions of fiscal conservancy.
In sum, Biden’s signature is now a stamp of approval on a spending bill that probably had more ribbon than ribbon-cutting ceremonies at your local mall. If the GOP thought they’d be sent to Washington to represent the people, it looks like they were handed a large stack of bills and a ‘Good luck!’ note instead. One thing’s for sure; the American Relief Act 2025 is shaping up to be an early Christmas present—but unfortunately for fiscal conservatives, it’s one they never asked for.
