Just weeks after winning sweeping victories in the 2014 elections that saw angry voters turn over control of the Senate to Republicans House Speaker John Boehner has decided to strike a sweeping bargain with lame duck Democrats over a huge omnibus-spending bill to fund government operations through September 2015 – the end of the current fiscal year.
The question is why.
Why would Speaker Boehner rush a 1,603-page $1.1 trillion spending bill through Congress now rather than wait for conservative Republicans elected on November 4 take over control of the Senate after the New Year – now just weeks away?
Speculation is that current House leaders – loyal to and controlled by the Republican establishment – want to cut a “moderate” spending deal with Senate Majority Harry Reid in time to head off the new and largely conservative class of Senators set to take over control of the chamber on January 2.
House conservatives have complained bitterly that voters soundly rejected “pass it before you can read it” government adding that the bill will deprive new Congress conservatives with the political leverage they will need to pry concessions from the Obama Administration on everything from defunding ObamaCare and out-of-control regulation to legislation repealing executive “amnesty” for illegal aliens.
The legislation will also “kick the can down the road” on government debt – now exceeding $18 trillion – by raising the debt limit to make way for more deficit spending while heading off any government shutdowns until at least late 2015.
The “compromise spending bill” will fully fund virtually all federal government activities through the end of the fiscal year next September except the Department of Homeland Security.
This includes full funding for ObamaCare… full funding for top down federal control over education… and full funding of “executive overreach” initiatives like amnesty, lack of government transparency and the selective enforcement of federal laws by Justice Department.
Apparently, conservatives should be content with modest cuts in the Internal Revenue Service and Environmental Protection Agency budgets with no concessions “greenhouse gas” emission standards based on the flawed science of “climate change”.
When reached for comment, the press spokesman for Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) said Sen. Lee is deeply disappointed that the process for the spending bill saying that it was set up to push Congress into a vote before the bill could be read by members – exactly the kind of legislative maneuvering that voters rejected on Election Day. Senator’s Ted Cruz and Rand Paul could not be reached by press time.
Please check back for updates.
