Senate Republican leaders are offering a deal to Democrats to speed up passage of a sweeping government funding bill that includes $13.6 billion in Ukraine aid saying they will agree to an accelerated schedule if Democrats give them up-or-down amendment votes on Republican priorities. Senators are facing an end-of-the-day Friday deadline to pass a bill to fund the government or risk a shutdown and Republican leadership is asking for three to four amendment votes in exchange for an agreement to speed up the government funding bills. However, even if the Senate passed the sprawling deal on funding the government through the end of September and the Ukraine aid, they are still expected to need to pass a days-long continuing resolution to buy time to print the formal copy of the bill and get it to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature. A final complication remains with Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) and a group of GOP senators insisting on a simple majority vote to defund Biden vaccine mandates for medical workers, military personnel, federal employees and federal contractors.
Last night, the House passed the omnibus spending package hours after lawmakers scrapped billions in funding to combat the COVID-19 pandemic amid resistance from Democrats upset about plans to yank already allocated relief from states. The last-minute revolt over the COVID-19 funding from Democrats angered over a Republican demanded offset upended a delicately negotiated package between congressional leaders of both parties. As part of those bipartisan negotiations, the House passage of the omnibus package, which funds the federal government through September, was split in two votes so that lawmakers could register specific support for the defense spending portions. The House first voted 361-69 to back funding for the Pentagon, Department of Homeland Security and other national security priorities and then 260-171 to adopt the provisions largely related to domestic programs. The omnibus package includes about $14 billion in emergency funding to boost humanitarian, security and economic assistance for Ukraine and central European allies in response to the Russian invasion, as lawmakers on both sides of the push for more support to Ukraine.
The Senate reconvened at 10:00 A.M. and remains in session pending the vote on the omnibus. The House is in recess while Democrats participate in their issues conference in Philadelphia and will reconvene at 6:30 P.M. on Tuesday, March 15th for votes.
