Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-Calif.) attempts to coax the GOP conference into approving all 12 appropriations measures amid significant pressure from conservatives to decrease spending levels failed on Thursday as the House Republicans passed their first government funding bill.
By a vote of 219 to 211, the law, which provides funds for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and allied organizations, was approved. Reps. Tim Burchett of Tennessee and Ken Buck of Colorado were the only Republicans to vote against the bill.
House GOP Marking Up Bills Below Debt Ceiling Agreement
The bill is currently on its way to the Senate, where it will never pass. To prepare for a chamber against. chamber fight in the fall, Senate appropriators are marking up their budget bills at levels different from the House GOP legislation.
Legislation to fund the government must be sent to President Biden by September 30 or there will be a shutdown.
To placate conservatives, House GOP appropriations marked up their spending bills at fiscal 2022 levels, below the ceilings established in the President Biden and McCarthy-negotiated debt ceiling agreement.
On the other hand, the Senate is debating appropriations bills at amounts consistent with the debt ceiling agreement.
Republicans have also sought modifications to the military construction bill and the other 12 yearly budget measures that Democrats have denounced as poison pills.
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Key Bills Delayed in Congress Over Ongoing Differences
These amendments target the Biden administration’s directives on diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as restrictions on abortion access.
While Republican leaders were successful in passing the Milcon-VA bill on Thursday, they were also forced to postpone discussion of a different appropriations package because of internal disagreements over expenditure and a contentious clause.
This week, the chamber was supposed to vote on bills supporting the Food and Drug Administration, rural development, and agriculture, but party leaders canceled those plans Thursday afternoon due to ongoing differences.
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