The Senate appears to be on course to approve a $1.1 trillion spending bill that the House passed on Thursday night in a narrow, drama-filled vote amid objections from the left and right flanks.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) urged cooperation from members to avoid delays and help complete the bill on Friday.
“This bill is, I repeat, far from perfect. But when we pass it we’ll be able to end this Congress knowing we put our country on a more secure financial footing than when this Congress started,” he said. “We can then go home to our states, tell our constituents that we passed legislation that keeps America safe, makes college affordable and spurs the economy and keeps our government open.”
“Talk about a CR [continuing resolution] for three months should scare everyone,” he said.
Senate Republican and Democratic leaders signed off on the deal, which was crafted in part by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), the appropriations chair. Others who told TPM they intend to vote for it include Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mark Pryor (D-AR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
The White House also supports the bill.
The opposition comes from a faction of progressives, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who are angry about a provision that loosens rules on banks, and a faction of conservatives, chiefly Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), who are upset that it doesn’t block funds for President Barack Obama’s executive actions on immigration.
A vote time has not been set yet.
Are there any good links out there as to what dems and repubs each “got” out of this spending bill? I’ve seen some stuff, and it seems that dems took an extreme short end of the stick, outside of “obamacare got funded”. The immigration executive action seems on unsteady footing as that particular part only got funded until repubs have full control of both houses.
I love the photo–or, rather, the look on Elizabeth Warren’s face. (I realize that the photo may not relate to this debate, but it’s a perfect choice.)
I emailed Sen. Warren and Sen. Markey (being lucky enough to live in Massachusetts) and suggested that they should filibuster the bill. Sometimes, you’ve got to stand up for principle. This should be one of those times.
(I also emailed the President to tell him how disheartened I am by his stance.)
Americans need to wake the hell up, especially Democrats who stay home. This is exactly what you voted for by not voting at all. Get ready for more of this! The president now has no choice, but to sign bill after bill full of these kinds of poison pills unless he wants to see the government shutdown and folks hurt even worse than by what’s in the bill.
The fact is that the Republicans are sitting in the catbird seat on this one. They can refuse to fund the government beyond the next month or so and then pass the most draconian bill the craziest of the crazies can imagine. The fact that they’re at all playing ball is, sadly, a gift.
You know the situation is FUBAR when you’re hoping Cruz filibusters this shit. Warren won’t step up to the plate.
Don’t worry, the Black Helicopters from the secret service are on their way.