Congressional negotiators didn't finish work Monday night on the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill that would both avert a government shutdown Friday at midnight and serve as the last big legislative vehicle for the year. There are some "two dozen issues" that are still outstanding that they expect to resolve by the end of Tuesday. But they are still planning a vote on Thursday because never mind the rule they imposed that said members have to have 72 hours to review legislation before they vote. "The speaker said it was basically an artificial deadline last night," says Rep. Chris Collins of New York. "We don't have to get it posted until today. To work against an artificial deadline would have been a mistake." What are rules for if not to break—as long as you're a Republican?
The Thursday House vote, however, jams the Senate as usual, which will have to move quickly to turn the bill around by Friday at midnight. The Senate won't have the opportunity to make any changes to it unless they could get the House to agree on a very short-term funding bill to last through negotiations. At the moment, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul hasn't been vocal about whether or not he will again grandstand to shut the whole thing down, but that's always a possibility. It's a possibility because of the massive amount of money they are about to authorize spending.
The measure would increase spending on the military by $80 billion and on domestic programs by $63 billion over previous budget limits as set out in the bipartisan budget agreement that ended a February shutdown. The higher spending for non-defense programs was the price Democrats demanded in the face of Trump’s 2018 budget proposal to cut domestic levels by $54 billion.
But there are plenty of contentious issues on the way there. Among the roughly two dozen issues are items as diverse as an overhaul of Congress's sexual harassment policies to the Dream Act to abortion and the Affordable Care Act. Also being batted around is another tranche of disaster relief and wildfire funding, gun sale background checks, and the Gateway project, a commuter rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey beneath the Hudson River. The occupier of the Oval Office has said he'll veto the whole $1.3 trillion package if it contains the $900 million for that project.
And along with pretty much every potential good thing, Republicans have a poison pill. On expanding background checks, they're demanding that concealed carry permits issued by states be reciprocal nationwide. On Obamacare stabilization funds, they are adamant on expanding abortion restrictions under the Hyde Amendment. Really adamant. "[S]ome Republicans erupted into cheers and applause when leaders announced that they would hold the line and insist Hyde language be attached to any new ObamaCare payments, according to a person in the room."
As usual, this isn't about governing for House Speaker Paul Ryan, even with another shutdown looming. This is about catering to the worst in his conference. Ryan is not capable of conducting policy outside of politics.
Let's end his speakership. Help unseat the traitorous Republican maniacs by helping future Democratic challengers with your $1.