Staff Reports
The House of Representatives, in a move of last-minute heroics, managed to pass the rest of its yearly spending bills, barely avoiding a government shutdown. Like a quarterback throwing the winning touchdown pass in the final seconds, they did it just in the nick of time! The $1.2 trillion spending bill passed with a vote of 286-134, even though lots of Republicans were disgruntled and less than half of them were on board with it.
The bill, which covers a whopping 70% of the federal government, includes funding for the heavy-hitting departments of Defense, State, Labor, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and foreign operations. It symbolically puts an end to the appropriations process for the 2024 fiscal year, a process that took a whopping six months to complete. It’s like watching a sloth race to the finish line – slow and painful!
And in other news: House PASSES $1.2 trillion spending package for final six appropriations bills
Now heads to the Senate for consideration. Just over 12 hours until government shutdown! https://t.co/ExryhrN33R
— Cami Mondeaux (@cami_mondeaux) March 22, 2024
Both the Republican and Democratic bigwigs were patting each other on the back, claiming victory in the lead-up to the bill’s passage. But hold on a minute! Some hardcore Republicans are hurling accusations at House Speaker Mike Johnson, blaming him for not standing up for conservative wins and for allowing this mammoth bill to be crafted behind closed doors. It’s like they were planning a surprise party, and they forgot to invite half the guests!
Republican leaders are boasting about the bill’s victories in beefing up border security, like funding for 22,000 border agents, a 25% increase in border technology spending, and a 20% decrease in funding for organizations that help immigrants with transportation and food vouchers. On the other side of the coin, Democrats are thrilled that some of their key opponents’ border measures got the boot from the spending bill, a real thorn in the Republicans’ side!
Now, the bill is off to the Senate, and if just one senator objects, it could drag on for days and days. Sounds like a recipe for a suspenseful thriller movie! Will it meet President Joe Biden’s pen, or will it hit a wall? The clock is ticking, and the government could be up a creek without a paddle at midnight on Saturday! Let’s hope the Senate knows how to keep the lights on in this government show!
