The House of Representatives, who were very self-assured and composed, voted 266-167 on Wednesday, finally approving a bipartisan budget deal. The deal is expected to cover the debt limit, increase spending and most importantly act as a hiatus from the fiscal brinkmanship that has gripped Washington in recent years.
The bill is considered to be a huge success and a very big day for the House of Representatives. The agreement is also expected to put an end to the very frequent controversial confrontations between President Obama and Congressional Republicans. The proposal had been presented and put forth earlier this week and faced immediate challenges from conservatives over the secretive negotiations leading to the deal along with the policies stated in the bill.
However, some amendments were made to the bill on Tuesday night and it fell to almost $4 billion short of its goal. The bill was supported by a majority of senior republicans who not only came forward to embrace it but also encouraged others to do the same.
Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) said that the bill would benefit the military and prevent the threat of another shutdown.
“It stops the cuts in defense, it increases the money going to our troops and it prevents them from being used as a bargaining chip in the future,” Thornberry said. “I think that is the sort of stability and predictability they need and that they deserve.”
Many House Republicans stood in opposition of the bill and apparently only 79 per cent voted for it while 187 Republicans supported the bill.
The deal was originally proposed and crafted by House Speaker, John Boehner and it proved to be his final achievement before his impending retirement on Friday, despite stiff resistance from chambers farm-state and various conservative Republican members.
The deal will yield an extra $80 billion which will equally be divided amongst the Pentagon and domestic agencies over the next two years. Moreover, it will increase the government’s borrowing limit to pay bills into March 2017.
Had the deal not happened, the Federal government would have had to default on its debt on Tuesday and would have been forced into a partial government shutdown by mid-December.
“Our leadership set the stage for this,” complained Rep. John Fleming (R-La.), who voted against the measure and argued that last year’s debate over funding the entire federal government was the time and place to do battle with the president. “That’s where we had the best chance and opportunity.”
However, Alaska Congressman Don Young, like majority of House Republicans casted a no. According to Young his primary objection is that the agreement would raise cash by selling off some of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
“We paid a high price for that oil, for a reserve, and they’re using it to finance this budget, and they’re also using it for transportation,” Young said, referring to a pending highway bill. “You can’t keep taking from the piggy bank. And I’m just saying it’s the wrong way to approach this thing, so I voted no.”
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