Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced the spending deal that they had discussed yesterday. The bill would avert a government shutdown on Friday (as the spending bill in effect will expire tomorrow) and would fund the government for two years.
The bill adds more than $500 billion in government spending, and raises spending limits by $296 billion. This has been met by opposition from fiscal conservatives, including Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) and Representative Mo Brooks (R-AL), who called it “a debt junkie’s dream”.
Justin Amash points out that it is the biggest spending increase since 2009.
This spending proposal is disgusting and reckless—the biggest spending increase since 2009. I urge every American to speak out against this fiscal insanity. https://t.co/lbjN69LvOg
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) February 7, 2018
If the bill passes, borrowing is likely to dwarf the trillion-per-year amount estimated by the Treasury a few days ago.
The McConnell-Schumer deal does not include language about immigration or DACA, but McConnell has committed to a floor debate on immigration in the Senate. Nancy Pelosi (R-CA) said that she is withholding support until Paul Ryan (R-WI) makes a similar commitment. The Speaker’s spokeswoman, AshLee Strong, said in response, “Speaker Ryan has already repeatedly stated we intend to do a DACA and immigration reform bill — one that the president supports.”
The bill is likely to receive lose Republican votes from fiscal conservatives, so Pelosi’s leverage may become critical if it is to pass.