Democratic leaders split Thursday on a bill that would fund most of the government through September.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Thursday night that the $1.1 trillion “cromnibus” was far better than a short-term government funding bill, backing President Obama, who argued Democrats should embrace the deal.
In a rare break from Obama, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) blasted the bill, saying she was “enormously disappointed” the White House endorsed it.
{mosads}Pelosi voted against the measure late Thursday night, largely because it included provisions to repeal parts of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law that she and other liberal opponents said will put taxpayers at risk of another Wall Street bailout.
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Pelosi’s second-in-command, voted for the deal, adding to the unusual divide.
Reid said he agreed the bill wasn’t ideal, but said it was better than the alternative — a short-term continuing resolution that would allow Republicans to fund the government next year without Democratic input.
“There are some people that are upset about things in this bill. To be candid with you, I’m kind of upset about some of the things in the bill,” Reid said on the Senate floor. “But this bill is so much better than a short-term CR.”
Only 57 House Democrats ended up supporting the measure in a vote that was delayed nearly seven hours on Thursday.
There is also opposition from both sides of the aisle in the Senate. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has spearheaded the Democratic opposition because of the Dodd-Frank reforms, while Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) has raised complaints on the immigration issue.