Conservative groups to key vote against $1T omnibus bill

Two conservative groups on Tuesday came out against the $1 trillion omnibus spending bill set for votes this week. 

Heritage Action and the Club for Growth encouraged members of Congress to vote against the bill, promising to score the vote on their legislative scorecards. 

“This 1,582-page ‘omnibus’ proposal is the product of the flawed Ryan-Murray deal that canceled part of the sequester last month in an effort to increase spending now,” The Club For Growth said in a statement. “It funds ObamaCare, plusses up other wasteful programs, and contains dozens of policy riders that can only be described as earmarks.”

Heritage Action said it was opposing the $1.012 trillion spending bill that will avert a government shutdown until October, partly because it increased base discretionary spending $45 billion above sequester levels. 

Both groups opposed the broad outlines of a budget deal hatched late last year by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.).

The key-vote announcements came shortly after the House approved a short funding extension so Congress could consider the omnibus bill before the government runs up against its funding deadline this week.

Heritage Action particularly took issue with the delay of premium increases under the National Flood Insurance Program, a provision sponsored by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.).

“While Republican negotiators were able to secure some small policy riders … the bill on balance takes the country in the wrong direction, both in terms of policy and overall spending levels,” the group said in a statement. 

Heritage also said it opposes the bill because it tacitly funds abortion. The organization also alleged that the bill continues to allow an “ObamaCare funding loophole” through user fees.

“While many major pro-life riders were included in the omnibus, the bill will still send taxpayer funding to health plans that cover abortion under Obamacare,” Heritage said. 

The group applauded the deal for taking a slice out of the Independent Payment Advisory Board, which is charged for finding cost savings in Medicare, as well as a provision banning funds to enforce the restriction on incandescent light bulbs.