Two progressive lawmakers bucked party lines on Friday, deciding not to support a sweeping $1.7 trillion spending bill needed to prevent the government from shutting down.
Overall, the bill passed the House, 225-201-1, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) being the only Democrat to vote no. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), another member of the progressive “Squad,” voted present. Both Democrats voted by proxy.
While it is unclear why Ocasio-Cortez opposed the bill, the spending legislation does provide $855 billion in defense spending — an area that the progressive Democrat has previously argued should be reduced.
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Nine Republicans joined the Democrats in supporting the spending package: Reps. John Katko (R-NY), Chris Jacobs (R-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Fred Upton (R-MI), Rodney Davis (R-IL), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Steve Womack (R-AR), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), and Liz Cheney (R-WY).
Many House Republicans, however, believed the bill earmarked spending and argued the 4,000-page spending bill was pushed through without the proper time to devote to it.
Rep. Greg Allen (R-GA) wrote in a statement that the Democrats’ bill is “out-of-control spending” that is targeting areas that will only increase inflation.
“This bloated spending package fails to address many of the pressing issues our nation is facing and is instead chocked full of increased funding for the IRS, Green New Deal initiatives, and unrelated policy provisions,” Allen wrote. “We must stay committed to restoring fiscal responsibility and stop increasing the financial burden on future generations.”
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The bill now needs President Joe Biden’s signature, as he promised to sign quickly as to avoid a government shutdown and provide funds for Congress for most of next year.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office for comment.
