Congressional leadership unveiled laws Wednesday to punt the federal government funding deadline down the highway, however that invoice was pronounced lifeless solely hours after it was revealed.
It led to the intervention of Trump-allied conservatives like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, with Musk threatening to assist a major problem to any Republican member of Congress who voted for the invoice.
It even prompted President-elect Trump to say he’s “completely in opposition to” the laws and demand any spending deal elevate the debt ceiling earlier than he will get into workplace, saving his administration the headache of doing so.
Elon Musk speaks with former President Trump throughout a marketing campaign occasion,Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Submit through Getty Pictures)
The persevering with decision, or CR, was meant to kick the federal government funding deadline down the highway by persevering with spending at 2024 ranges till March and purchase extra time for Congress to hash out a longer-term funds plan for fiscal yr 2025. Nevertheless it included 1,500 pages price of coverage and funding riders.
With a nationwide debt of $36 trillion and a deficit of $1.8 trillion deficit, conservatives are leery of CRs that do not minimize authorities spending to start with. However they’ve argued solely a “clear” CR with none riders connected may earn their vote. However others – Democrats and a few Republicans – wished coverage and funding riders connected to get one thing carried out past the established order.
Right here’s a have a look at all of the provisions that prompted Musk and Ramaswamy to step in and demand Republicans kill the CR:
Pay raises for lawmakers
A virtually 4% pay elevate would line the pockets of lawmakers if the laws have been to move: $6,600 additional per yr on high of their $174,000 wage.
That wage hasn’t been elevated since 2009, however Congress created a program in 2022 permitting members of Congress to expense their meals and lodging in Washington, D.C., whereas conducting official enterprise.
Some members have been pushing for a pay elevate for years, arguing that if members aren’t paid extra it signifies that solely independently rich folks will run for Congress. Others are apprehensive in regards to the optics of a pay elevate with voters.
Nonetheless, others simply don’t assume lawmakers deserve it.
“The worst a part of the CR was the pay elevate for members. That cash must be earned and proper now it’s simply being taken,” mentioned Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., on X.
Rep. Tim Burchett talks to journalists on the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 13, 2024. (Alex Wong/Getty Pictures)
Exempting members from ObamaCare
The laws additionally features a provision stipulating that members of Congress wouldn’t have to take part within the well being care system they wrote into regulation – the Reasonably priced Care Act, also referred to as ObamaCare.
It might enable members to decide out of this system and as an alternative take part within the Federal Workers Well being Advantages Program. The lawmaker mandate was a contentious debate in the course of the passage of ObamaCare in 2009 and 2010, and for years Republicans tried to overturn the well being care invoice fully.
Whereas the CR would exempt members from having to purchase well being care on the ObamaCare trade, it could nonetheless require their employees to take part in it.
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Catastrophe reduction
Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., whose job has come underneath renewed menace on account of anger over the CR, has mentioned he began with a “clear” CR plan however wanted so as to add catastrophe reduction for victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton within the southeastern a part of the nation.
Some $100 billion for catastrophe reduction was included, however some conservatives argue it must be paid for by slicing funding in different areas.
Rebuilding Maryland’s Francis Scott Key Bridge
The CR consists of $8 billion for rebuilding the Baltimore space bridge, which collapsed earlier this yr. Some conservatives don’t imagine the federal authorities must be on the hook fully for the bridge.
“Guess what, of us? Although the Francis Scott Key Bridge is privately owned, insured, and collects tolls, you continue to have the honour of footing 100% of the invoice to have it repaired. Oh, and it’ll proceed to gather tolls as soon as it’s mounted,” Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., wrote on X.
A part of a span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge is suspended on the container ship Dali in Baltimore, Maryland, March 26, 2024. (Military Corps of Engineers/Handout through Reuters)
Yr-round greater ranges of ethanol gross sales
The plan would enable year-round gross sales of gasoline with ethanol as much as 15%, a serious win for the corn and ethanol lobbies. At present, gross sales of E15 are blocked from June by means of September because of the excessive stage of emissions it produces.
Opposition to the E15 mandate is seemingly a extra regional debate than ideological – southern Republicans from oil-producing states need to defend pure gasoline. Agricultural states need to defend farmers and their subsidies.
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Reauthorization of State Division company Republicans accuse of speech suppression
A State Department company that Republicans accuse of including People and information shops to a blacklist for issues like speculating the COVID-19 virus was a Chinese language-engineered bioweapon would get a reauthorization underneath the invoice.
Musk previously described the International Engagement Heart (GEC) as being the “worst offender in US authorities censorship & media manipulation.”
“They’re a menace to our democracy,” Musk wrote in a subsequent put up.
Though the invoice doesn’t specify its funds allocation, a earlier Inspector Basic report confirmed the company’s FY 2020 funds totaled $74.26 million, of which $60 million was appropriated by Congress.
Different riders and handouts
The laws reauthorizes the farm invoice for a yr, providing $21 billion in catastrophe reduction to farmers and one other $10 billion in financial support. Most conservatives say they don’t seem to be essentially in opposition to this, however assume it ought to get a standalone vote and never be connected to the CR.
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Different seemingly unrelated riders are sprinkled all through, similar to a invoice to determine information assortment and reporting necessities regarding composting and recycling packages, and a invoice associated to transparency of resort charges.
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