More coronavirus aid funding and lack of policy proposals to address rising energy prices have made Republicans reluctant to support a $1.5 trillion omnibus bill to avert a government shutdown this week.
House and Senate appropriations lawmakers continue to negotiate the parameters of a $1.5 trillion omnibus package, which would mark the end of a multi-month long battle to continually extend government via a continuing resolution (CR).
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has continually beat Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) during the last many CR fights. Most recently, Senate Republicans had the opportunity to defund President Joe Biden’s remaining vaccine mandates until Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Richard Burr (R-NC) failed to show up to the vote.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of N.Y., speaks during a news conference, Tuesday, Feb., 15, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Although lawmakers have yet to release the bill text, there are many controversial items Republicans remain reluctant to support.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., center, speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Democrats want to include $22.5 billion in more coronavirus pandemic relief funding; however, Republicans want to have an accounting of how the previous $5 trillion in coronavirus aid has been spent. Romney has led a large block of Republicans on this issue. This includes concerns over $100 billion in unspent aid.
The omnibus would also include roughly $10 billion in supplemental “humanitarian, military, and economic support” for the conflict in Ukraine.
“The Congress intends to enact this emergency funding this week as part of our emergency funding legislation,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wrote in a Dear Colleague letter Sunday night.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, of Calif., speaks to the media, Thursday, March 3, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
The House Freedom Caucus sent a letter to House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) on Friday, urging him to keep Ukrainian aid from the government funding package:
First, we request that you ensure that we take these matters up separately and that we have a full and robust debate on the amount of aid required in Ukraine, the legal and strategic benefits and consequences of providing that aid, the policy choices that must accompany that aid, and then the appropriate levels of spending for the remainder of fiscal year 2022 generally.
Second, our Republican Conferences are united in our belief that it is critical we pivot our federal energy policy. For example, on March 1, 2022, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise outlined key actions that President Biden should immediately take to unleash American energy and counter Russian aggression:
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End Biden’s federal freeze on all new oil and gas projects
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Fast-track pending LNG export permits
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Expedite approval of all pipeline and energy development
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Stop the regulatory assault on American energy development and financing
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Stop importing Russian oil
“It would be political malpractice for us not to help our own military, help the Ukrainians and get a budget,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said.
Government funding will expire Friday night, leaving Congress little time to address the remaining concerns about the omnibus package.
House Democrats plan to file and release the omnibus package Monday night or Tuesday, and vote on the bill on Wednesday, giving the Senate little time to address the issue.
Schumer will need at least 10 Senate Republicans to pass the bill through Congress’ upper chamber.
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/03/07/republicans-reluctant-support-1-5-trillion-omnibus-package/