The Senate passed the $1.7 trillion, 4,155-page omnibus spending bill yesterday, 68-29 and the House is expected to rubber-stamp it before being allowed to go home for Christmas— although dozens of them already have gone home. McCarthy’s fascist-fringe is going ape-shit, threatening this and that and the other. They informed the Republican senators that anyone who voted for it would get their legislation blocked next year. Even senators who intended to vote against it told the 13 extremists who made the demand— Matt Rosendale (MT), Matt Gaetz (FL), Ralph Norman (SC), Bob Good (VA), Scott Perry (PA), Dan Bishop (NC), Paul Gosar (AZ), Byron Donalds (FL), Chip Roy (TX), Anna Paulina Luna (FL), Eli Crane (AZ), Andrew Clyde (GA) and Andy Ogles (TN)—to grow up. In the end, 29 Republicans voted against it, 3 didn’t vote and 18 Republicans voted with all the Democrats to pass it. The 18? Well Marge tweeted their names while barking “TRAITORS” in all caps, Trump style.
Of the 18, Blunt, Inhofe, Portman and Shelby won’t be returning in 2023 anyway, so just 14 are under threat from the House Nazis, including 3 of the highest-ranking Senate Republicans: McConnell, Thune and Capito, with Barrasso not voting and only Ernest voting against the package. There were all kinds of compromises made to get it through and keep the government functioning. Basically there were four types of Republicans opposing passage:
The ones who want to shut down the government
The Russo-Republicans who take their cues from Moscow and Mar-a-Lago
The ones who can’t comprehend big numbers
The ones who oppose all compromise and think they can get their way on everything
They gave the Pentagon a 10% boost in budget, including $45 billion more for Ukraine, which is the reason the Russo-Republicans are howling at the moon. Yesterday the Senate approved 8 of 15 last minute amendments. Jeff Merkley offered a good one that passed 92-5, workplace protections for nursing mothers (the PUMP Act). The NO votes were anti-family fanatics John Cornyn (R-TX), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Pat Toomey (R-PA). Another amendment that passed overwhelmingly was Gillibrand’s proposal to establish a World Trade Center Health Program Supplemental Fund. Only 6 right-wing goons voted against it: Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Steve Daines (R-MT), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Lee (R-UT), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Tim Scott (R-SC). But the amendment that had the most support— just 4 opponents— was Menendez’s proposal to aid victims of state-sponsored terrorism. The no votes were Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Lee (R-UT), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO).
There was also a voice vote that passed without objection, an amendment from Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) that will allow the seizure of Russian assets to be used as Ukraine aid. Imagine the heads exploding over in the Russo-Republican House caucus on that one!
