The Grind:
The Senate on Thursday approved a $1.7 trillion spending bill with help from more than a dozen Republican lawmakers after a fight over immigration policy nearly derailed the legislation.
In an 68-29 vote, the Senate passed a bill that provides $858 billion for defense, $787 billion for non-defense domestic programs and nearly $45 billion for military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The more than 4,000-page bill funds the government for the rest of the fiscal year, and includes more than 7,200 earmarks totaling more than $15 billion.
The Details:
Senate passage sends the bill to the House, where Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to hold a vote as early as Thursday evening to allow lawmakers to depart for the Christmas holiday.
“The bill is so important to get done because it will be good for families, for veterans, our national security, even for the health of our democratic institutions,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Although only a majority vote was needed, a handful of Republicans voted with every single Senate Democrat to pass the bill. Republican support was slightly lower than the 21 GOP votes the measure garnered earlier this week to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.
While both parties negotiated the bill in the Senate, the spending bill generated significant opposition from Republicans. Read more…