By: Justin Wang
Earlier this week, amidst the latter half of Congress’s lame-duck session, Capitol Hill unveiled its 4,155-page, bipartisan omnibus spending bill. This agglomerate spending package, however, was met with an immediate, widespread, and relatively negative response: notably, Wall Street Journal columnist Kimberly Strassel dubbed it a “monstrosity” that consisted of “4,155 pages of bad policy, obscene spending, and self-serving pork and earmarks”, while Florida Senator Rick Scott denounced it as merely a “$1.7 trillion spending spree” (Twitter).
The Omnibus Bill’s Provisions
After weeks of negotiations between leading Democrat and Republican congressional lawmakers, a “bipartisan, bicameral” compromise spending bill was reached. The recently proposed, 4,000+ page omnibus bill subsequently includes a sweeping list of measures, ranging from changes to Medicaid and similar healthcare coverage programs to funding for the military and for prosecutions related to the January 6th insurrection.
Some of the bill’s most controversial provisions lie in its changes to Medicaid and related healthcare programs. While the bill will provide continuous coverage for children enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for a period of 12 months and extend postpartum coverage for low-income mothers through Medicaid to a full year, it will also allow states to evaluate the eligibility of Medicaid enrollees, thereby putting 19 million people at risk of losing coverage. This has been a contentious issue, with some arguing that it is necessary to ensure that only those who genuinely need Medicaid receive it. In contrast, others claim it will leave vulnerable individuals without the healthcare they need.
In addition to the changes to healthcare programs, the bill also includes a significant amount of funding for the military and national security. This consists of a 4.6% pay raise for troops, which has been seen as a potential indication of a federal pay raise in 2023. A 4.6% nationwide pay raise would be monumental, as it would be the largest federal pay increase in over 20 years. And while the media has largely overlooked military funding, it has been welcomed by many as a necessary investment in the protection and security of the country.
In the wake of the 2021 Capitol riots, the Justice Department will also receive nearly $39 billion in funds under the proposed bill, with $2.6 billion dedicated towards US Attorneys to assist in prosecuting those responsible for the January 6th attack, as well as other domestic terrorism cases. Furthermore, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will receive $11.3 billion for investigations into extremist violence and domestic terrorism.
The GOP’s Mixed Response
The bill’s concessional nature toward Democratic policy priorities and hefty price tag subsequently stirred up significant infighting within the GOP, as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell took up opposing positions.
Just hours after the bill’s announcement, Representative McCarthy, along with twelve fellow Republican representatives, jointly threatened in a letter to the Senate that the House GOP bloc would “thwart” the legislative priorities of any Republican senator who ended up voting for the bill’s passage (The Hill). This statement, albeit vocal, fell upon deaf ears in the Senate, as Republican lawmakers dismissed it as an empty-handed intimidation tactic.
Senator McConnell, on the other hand, has been comparatively optimistic. He has been a vocal proponent of the bill, as evidenced by a statement that he made on Monday: “I’m pretty proud of the fact that with a Democratic president, Democratic House, and Democratic Senate, we were able to achieve through this Omnibus spending bill essentially all of our priorities.” (Twitter)
Moving Forward
Withstanding the GOP’s internal conflicts, the omnibus spending bill will likely pass in the House and Senate. This is partially due in part to the fact that Congress is in the midst of its lame-duck session, a time during which outgoing lawmakers can still pass legislation before the new Congress is seated in January.
Once the bill passes through Congress, it will be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature. Biden has openly stated that he will sign the bill, thus marking a major bipartisan accomplishment of the Biden Administration and signaling that future cooperation between the two parties is possible (The Hill). However, it is still unclear whether the bill’s passage will have a lasting, meaningful impact on the state of US politics, given the internal divisions that remain.
While the provisions of the bill are diverse, covering a wide range of issues spanning from healthcare and military funding to support for investigations into the Capitol riot, whether or not it will ultimately prove to be a “monstrosity” or a necessary investment remains to be seen.