
On Saturday, Joe Biden signed the $459 billion spending package approved by the Senate over the strong objection of a group of America First Republicans in the upper chamber. The latest pork-laden spending measure hastily passed to avert a government shutdown caters extensively to the special requests of several federal agencies, including the Defense Department and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The Senate approved the package with a 75-22 vote despite considerable opposition from conservative lawmakers who objected to including numerous earmarks and a lack of substantial budget cuts. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) hailed the bipartisan nature of the package, stating, “To folks who worry that divided government means nothing ever gets done, this bipartisan package says otherwise.” However, this sentiment is not universally shared, particularly among fiscal conservatives alarmed by the unchecked growth in government spending.
Biden Signs $459 Billion Spending Package After Senate Rejects Conservative Amendments
So wrong!
https://t.co/EqVskC4VmD— Roxie🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@roxie32819) March 10, 2024
One of the strongest voices against the bill, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), blasted the bipartisan tendency to perpetuate national debt increase, saying, “There is compromise every day on every spending bill. It’s compromise between big-government Democrats and big-government Republicans.”
The package also saw resistance due to its approach to illegal immigration, with Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) proposing an amendment that failed to pass. His amendment aimed to prevent illegal aliens from being counted toward congressional seat apportionment, a move he argued was vital to protecting American voters’ rights. His dismay was palpable as he commented, “Today Democrats proved they will vote for anything that preserves their own power — even using illegal immigration to compromise Americans’ voting rights.”
Earmarks incentivize the wrong thing in Congress — spending too much money — by rewarding senators and representatives for supporting bloated & otherwise-problematic spending bills.
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) March 9, 2024
The spending bill’s passage underscores the ongoing debate between fiscal prudence and legislative efficiency. Critics, like Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), argue that earmarks, which amounted to over $12 billion in this bill, encourage excessive spending by rewarding legislators for backing inflated and problematic spending bills. This sentiment reflects a broader conservative concern about the government’s fiscal direction, emphasizing the need for a more responsible budgetary approach.
Despite the opposition, the bill garnered support from establishment Republicans at the direction of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). While some herald the latest faceoff with a looming threat of a government shutdown as a “bipartisan success,” conservatives view it as a missed opportunity to enact meaningful budgetary reform.