Senate Passes 4,155-Page, $1.7 Trillion Spending Package – 18 Republicans Voted for It

The Senate has passed a spending package just one day before the deadline for a government shutdown.

In a 68-29 vote on Thursday, the Senate approved the 4,155-page, $1.7 trillion bill.

Every Democratic senator voted for it along with 18 Republicans.

The Omnibus is approved by the Senate. Next stop is the House. 18 Republicans voted with all Democrats in favor. pic.twitter.com/rjGzneDmSt

— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) December 22, 2022

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) tweeted out a list of the Republicans who wound up voting for the package. It includes Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), Susan Collins (Maine), John Cornyn (Texas), Tom Cotton (Ark.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Jim Inhofe (Okla.), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Jerry Moran (Kan.), Rob Portman (Ohio), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Mitt Romney (Utah), Mike Rounds (S.D.), Richard Shelby (Ala.), John Thune (S.D.), Roger Wicker (Miss.), and Todd Young (IND.)

Blunt
Boozman
Capito
Collins
Cornyn
Cotton
Graham
Inhofe
McConnell
Moran
Murkowski
Portman
Romney
Rounds
Shelby
Thune
Wicker
Young#StandUpForAmerica

— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) December 22, 2022

The vote came after Republicans in the House and Senate pushed to delay passing the package until January when they would control the lower chamber.

Earlier this month, six Republican senators, including Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), signed a letter suggesting the Senate should not pass a spending package until January.

“For the Senate to ram through a so-called ‘omnibus’ bill—which would fund the entirety of the Pelosi-Schumer spending agenda through most of next year—would utterly disempower the new Republican House from enacting our shared priorities,” the letter argued.

And on Tuesday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) shared a tweet from Roy warning Republican senators against voting for a $1.7 trillion spending package.

“13 [House Republicans] to [Senate Republicans]: “… we are obliged to inform you that if any omnibus passes in the remaining days of this Congress, we will oppose and whip opposition to any legislative priority of those senators who vote for this bill – including the … leader,” Roy’s tweet stated.

McCarthy re-tweeted it and added, “Agreed. Except no need to whip—when I’m Speaker, their bills will be dead on arrival in the House if this nearly $2T monstrosity is allowed to move forward over our objections and the will of the American people.”

Agreed. Except no need to whip—when I’m Speaker, their bills will be dead on arrival in the House if this nearly $2T monstrosity is allowed to move forward over our objections and the will of the American people.

— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) December 20, 2022

The package includes $858 billion in defense funding and $40 billion in aid for Ukraine.

Also included is Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo.) legislation to ban TikTok on government devices.

The package includes the Electoral Count Reform Act, which would clarify the vice president cannot overturn the results of a presidential election, as well.

Additionally, the legislation allocates $3 million for the American LGBTQ+ Museum in New York City and $3.6 million for a Michelle Obama Trail in Georgia.

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