With the omnibus spending bill set for a vote Friday, it seems likely the majority of votes in favor for the legislation will come from the Democratic Party, not from Republicans who hold a majority in both chambers.
Wednesday, the House Freedom Caucus made a last-ditch effort to amend the proposal to include policy riders that had been included in initial GOP negotiations with Democrats. Those amendments were shot down by a coalition of Republicans loyal to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Democrats.
The 40-member Freedom Caucus is now expected to vote against the bill.
“There’s good stuff in there,” Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) told The Hill on Wednesday evening, pointing to a GOP-favored provision lifting the 40-year ban on crude oil exports, “but I just can’t get myself to do it.”
Key aspects of the spending bill that are likely to rankle many Christian conservatives:
• It increases the budget deficit—leading to a larger national debt—by hundreds of billions of dollars.
• Funding for Planned Parenthood continues; approximately $286 million in Title X family planning funds—most of which goes directly to the abortion provider—remains intact.
• It provides funding for some of President Obama’s initiatives relative to the Paris climate deal.
• It makes it much more difficult to institute a full repeal of ObamaCare, a key Republican 2014 campaign promise.
U.S. Sen. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) blasted the deal. During a floor speech Wednesday, he said this is why American voters are “in open rebellion” with Washington.
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