Staff Reports
The House passed the first of its 12 annual spending bills on Wednesday. Democrats and Republicans are already clashing over the measures being brought to the negotiating table. The bill for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs passed largely along party lines, with only four Democrats joining nearly all Republicans in backing the measure. The White House has vowed to veto the measure, accusing House Republicans of abandoning the deal struck by President Joe Biden and then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last summer.
The $378 billion spending bill typically gets bipartisan support but contains Republican-led policy riders that Democrats reject. This year’s bill would undo VA policies to provide abortions in the case of rape or incest and implement a ban on gender-affirmation care for transgender veterans. Republicans have decried Biden’s veto threat, accusing him of prioritizing “liberal policies” over funding veterans’ programs.
2025 budget fight begins as House passes first spending bill that is likely dead on arrival in Senate https://t.co/3frrCitBgi
— Cami Mondeaux (@cami_mondeaux) June 5, 2024
House Republicans have vowed to push for provisions to cut funding for “abusive federal law enforcement agencies.” The ambitious timeline for passing the appropriations bills will serve as a test for the House GOP as they aim to prove their ability to pass government funding bills. The overall funding proposal is unlikely to make it far in the Senate where party leaders have expressed a desire for higher allocations. Senate leaders and the White House could seek to delay the process until after the November election.
