House Dems pass $464 billion spending bill, criticized by GOP

House Democrats successfully passed a continuing resolution yesterday to keep the government running until the end of September, despite Republican attempts to force the bill back to committee.

“Now that we are in the majority we are left with unfinished business,” Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said in a floor statement yesterday before the passage of the legislation. “We need to complete last year’s undone business … We need to fund the priorities of the American people.”

The $463.5 billion bill, which passed 286-140, provides money in lieu of the nine appropriations bills for the 2007 fiscal year that were not enacted as they should have been by the 109th Congress.

Without any action, funding of the federal government would expire Feb. 15 and cause a partial shutdown. Fifty-seven Republicans voted with Democrats on the measure, while only two Democrats, Reps. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.) joined Republicans in opposing the continuing resolution.

The Democratic motion to recommit keeps funding levels at much the same level as in the 2006 fiscal year, but allows individual adjustments within the spending bill. Hoyer said the resolution would increase funding for veterans’ healthcare, law enforcement, Pell Grants for students, and health-research programs. President Bush’s requested funding levels for programs such as NASA space exploration and aid for communities affected by the closure of military bases last year were cut.

The pay increase that members of Congress usually receive yearly in spending bills was excluded this time, freezing the salary of rank-and-file members at $165,200 for fiscal 2007.

Republicans argued that the continuing resolution violated House rules because of the inclusion of what they characterized as earmarks. The GOP dubbed the bill a “CR-omnibus,” implying that the Democratic measure broke early promises to ban earmarks for the year.

“It’s a CR-omnibus,” said Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) during a GOP press conference yesterday. “It’s a hooker dressed up as a nun.”

Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said, “This $463.5 billion bill contains earmarks, breaking the Democrats’ pledge for no earmarks.”

GOP members again took issue with the way the bill was pushed through the House, saying they had been “shut out of the process.” Republicans used parliamentary stalling procedures to slow down the process but were ultimately unsuccessful in preventing passage.

Their motion to recommit, which would have sent the bill back to committees, failed by a vote of 228–198, largely along partisan lines.

Debate over the bill became raucous as Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) and ranking member Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) traded barbs.

“I’m very concerned about the volume of staff direction [on the resolution],” Lewis said.

“We can’t correct all of your mistakes,” Obey snapped back.