House leaders unveiled a 1,547-page continuing resolution (CR) — including at least tens of billions of dollars in additional goodies — just hours before a vote to keep the government open past the Friday deadline.
The House website posted the long-anticipated bill text just after 6:30 pm ET Tuesday night, triggering congressional staff, media, and legions of lobbyists to begin sifting through the bill’s contents.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) would not commit earlier Tuesday to adhering to the 72-hour rule, which Republicans had enacted under pressure from conservatives to ensure members of Congress could read legislation before being forced to vote on it.
But Republicans of many ideological stripes are unhappy about being shut out of the negotiating process — not to mention the substance of the bill, which is still being sorted through. Whether a majority of House Republicans will vote on the legislation is unknown.
“Congress has had months to negotiate a clean government funding bill to get us to Trump’s term. Yet, here they are again at the last second trying to jam through a 1,500+ page CR that could be called for a vote before the required 72 hour rule,” Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) posted on X.
“The DC Apparatus operates not on transparency, but behind closed doors away from the American people.”
Congress has had months to negotiate a clean government funding bill to get us to Trump’s term. Yet, here they are again at the last second trying to jam through a 1,500+ page CR that could be called for a vote before the required 72 hour rule.
— Congressman Michael Cloud (@RepCloudTX) December 18, 2024
The DC Apparatus operates not on…
Johnson tried to sell the final package Tuesday morning before the bill text was available behind a closed door House Republican Conference meeting.
But Republicans from different ideological corners of the conference left angry, condemning the process, timeline, contents, and more.
The Cramnibus is 1550 pages with $100+ billion in unpaid-for spending negotiated behind closed doors.
— House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) December 18, 2024
At the least, it should move under a rule that ensures:
1️⃣ a full 72 hours to read it
2️⃣ a vote on the DOGE Act to cut non-defense spending 13% to pre-COVID 2019 levels
3️⃣…
At least one powerful committee chair, Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) of the Ways and Means Committee, reportedly expressed disdain with the negotiations and final product.
The continuing resolution continues current spending levels but includes so many additional — and expensive — provisions that many lawmakers view the legislation as a CR in name only.
“It’s not a CR, which is a continuation of the budget,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said as she left Tuesday morning’s conference meeting. “It’s turning into an omnibus,” a legislative vehicle through which all twelve appropriations bills are bundled together to enact new enhanced spending levels.
Johnson promised in September there would be no Christmas omnibus.
If the CR passes, the new deadline for passing spending legislation for the remainder of the fiscal year — which began on October 1, 2024 — will be March 14, 2025.
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
