The House on Thursday narrowly approved a $1 trillion governmentwide spending bill, but only after shouting on the floor, the changing of votes and arm-twisting behind closed doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The massive spending bill was only unveiled Tuesday evening by congressional leaders, including several controversial provisions that nearly wrecked it. The measure, which now moves to the Senate, includes $554 billion for the Pentagon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The final vote was 219-206.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The House also passed a two-day continuing resolution that should pass the Senate by vote Thursday night. That will keep the government open while the Senate works through its procedures on the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though sequestration is slated to kick in early next year, the so-called “cromnibus” spending measure, so named because it features an 11-department omnibus appropriations bill and one continuing resolution, calls for growth in the base Pentagon budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the Defense Department, the legislation would provide $554.1 billion for fiscal 2015, just smaller than the $554.3 billion the Obama administration requested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the bill’s $490.1 billion base 2015 Pentagon appropriations bill, if enacted this week, would be $3.3 billion larger than the amount allocated for fiscal 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The measure would give the White House most of the funds it requested, including $3.4 billion of the $5.6 billion it recently asked to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. It proposes $64 billion for the Pentagon’s overseas contingency operations (OCO) account; with the war in Afghanistan winding down, that level would be about $21 billion less than the 2014 enacted level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The measure passed after a morning vote on its floor rule squeaked by, 214-212. Leaders were seen lobbying members to change their votes. As soon as the Republican-crafted rule had a majority, the presiding officer gaveled closed the vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
House GOP leaders later sent the chamber in recess, delaying a scheduled final vote on the massive spending bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is unclear if the measure will come up in the Senate before a Thursday midnight deadline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It could slip to Friday or into the weekend if one or more senators force a number of procedural hurdles that would force a weekend vote.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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