House Passes $1.2 Trillion Spending Package, Avoiding shutdown Amidst homeland security Dispute
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The House of Representatives on Thursday approved a $1.2 trillion package of spending bills, averting a potential partial government shutdown just days before the January 30 deadline. The legislation, born from a desire to avoid a repeat of last fall’s record 43-day shutdown, now heads to the Senate for consideration.
The package comprises four distinct bills, funding a wide range of federal departments including Defense, Education, Transportation, and Health and Human Services. While three of the bills garnered broad bipartisan support, the funding for the department of homeland Security (DHS) proved deeply contentious, sparking fierce debate over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
Homeland Security Bill Fuels Democratic Opposition
The core of the disagreement centered on concerns that the DHS bill failed to adequately restrain the management’s aggressive deportation efforts. Democrats voiced strong objections, arguing that the proposed funding would enable further targeting of American citizens and law-abiding immigrant families.
“Taxpayer dollars are being misused to brutalize U.S. citizens, including the tragic killing of Renee Nicole good. This extremism must end,” stated a joint release from House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, referencing the recent fatal shooting of a mother of three by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in the Midwest.
The DHS bill allocates $91.5 billion to the department, a slight increase over the previous year. A significant portion of this funding, $45 billion, is earmarked for detention facilities.
Oversight and Restrictions Included in Bill
While acknowledging the bill wasn’t ideal, some Democrats highlighted modest concessions secured during negotiations. The legislation maintains roughly flat funding for ICE compared to the prior year and restricts the ability of the Homeland Security Secretary Kristi noem to unilaterally reallocate funds. It also allocates $20 million for body cameras for ICE and CBP officers during immigration enforcement and mandates monthly reports on spending related to the administration’s immigration policies.
“It’s not everything we wanted. We wanted more oversight. But look,democrats don’t control the House. We don’t control the Senate or the White House. But we were able to add some oversight over homeland,” said Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, a member of the Appropriations panel.
Republicans emphasized the bill’s primary function: national security. “This legislation delivers just that and upholds the America first agenda,” stated Rep. Tom Cole,the Republican chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. They also celebrated the avoidance of a large, catchall omnibus bill, which they argue often leads to increased federal spending.”It sends a clear, powerful message back home – the House is back at work. We are back to governing,” added Rep.Mark Alford, R-mo.
Heated Debate on the House Floor
The debate surrounding the Homeland Security bill was especially impassioned on the House floor. Several Democratic lawmakers condemned ICE’s actions, alleging racial profiling and the unlawful seizure of individuals from their communities. Rep. Betty McCollum of Minnesota claimed residents of her state were being targeted on a mass scale, with “masked federal agents seizing parents…in front of terrified children.”
Rep.Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., went further, stating, “I will not fund an agency that acts like an American gestapo,” while rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts characterized the situation as “political retribution of a vengeful president.”
Rep. Tom Cole countered these accusations, arguing that such rhetoric was “reckless” and unfairly painted the agency as harboring widespread misconduct.
Last-Minute Provision Regarding Jan. 6 Examination
In a final, unexpected move, the House added a provision to the package that would block senators from suing the government over the collection of their cellphone data related to Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the January 6, 2021, attack on the capitol. This provision, which reversed an earlier allowance for potential damages of up to $500,000, passed unanimously.
The bill now moves to the Senate,where its fate remains uncertain. The January 30 deadline looms, and the potential for another government shutdown remains a distinct possibility if lawmakers cannot reach a consensus.
