$1.2T Funding Bill Hits Turbulence As MTG Files Motion To ‘Vacate’ Speaker Johnson

House GOP leaders are struggling with the funding bill, as Speaker Johnson needs at least 100 GOP votes in order to pass it today, Punchbowl News‘ Jake Sherman reports.

These aren’t hair-on-fire concerns quite yet — but it’s approaching that level. The whip count at Thursday’s early afternoon vote series came in softer than the House Republican leadership would’ve liked. Leadership aides, however, expressed confidence they’d be able to deliver enough votes to hit the two-thirds needed to pass this 1,000-page measure. A partial government shutdown begins at midnight, although it won’t be fully felt until Monday.

There are numerous House Republicans concerned with the package’s lack of strict border security provisions, the huge price tag, the secretive negotiating process and even the lack of a pay hike for members of Congress. The unrest is especially acute among conservatives, who dislike spending bills anyway but are deeply upset with Speaker Mike Johnson here. -Punchbowl

Amid the chaos, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has filed a motion to vacate Mike Johnson as speaker.

Remember on motion to vacate: MTG has to go to a mic and call up the resolution. Then the leadership can delay the vote for two legislative days. That would put this until after recess, two+ weeks from now. https://t.co/xJUEnSVdnd

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 22, 2024

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A new $1.2 trillion government spending package Congress is trying to ram through faces significant headwinds in the House, where members are expected to vote on it later this morning.

The 1,012-page bill was introduced at around 3am Thursday morning – just 48 hours before a midnight Friday funding deadline. It must pass both the House and the Senate, after which President Biden will sign it (with crayons at the ready, we’re sure).

The package accounts for approximately 70% of discretionary government spending – and consists of six out of twelve total bills that Congress must pass each fiscal year to fund the government. The six others, around $460 billion in spending, were passed earlier this month.

According to Fox News, multiple GOP sources, two GOP lawmakers and one senior GOP aide think the package will pass, but by a tight margin.

On Thursday afternoon, however, the bipartisan deal hit turbulence – with one GOP lawmaker citing absurd pork contained within – including funding for LGBTQ centers and facilities that provide late-term abortions.

“This is not the bill that my subcommittee produced and supported. The Senate has taken liberties with their Congressionally Directed Spending requests that would never stand in the House,” said Rep. Robert Aderholt, (R-AL), chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Labor and Health & Human Services (HHS).

“The House did not include these partisan funding projects in its Labor-HHS legislation. Based on these principles, the Senate shouldn’t either,” Aderholt continued. “I have multiple concerns, among them are the many new social services that this bill would create for the millions of illegal immigrants streaming across our border. Additionally, it would fund facilities providing routine abortion services, including late-term abortions. The Senate must respect the work of the House. In good conscience, I cannot and will not vote for these projects or this bill.”

Pork City

As usual, Democrats slipped in as much pork as possible, including:

– $850k for a gay senior home
– $15 million to pay for Egyptian’s college tuitions
– $400k for a gay activist group to teach elementary kids about being trans
– $500k for a DEI zoo
– $400k for a group to gives clothes to teens to help them hide their gender

What’s in the new monster bill Congress is rushing to pass?
– $850k for a gay senior home
– $15 million to pay for Egyptian’s college tuitions
– $400k for a gay activist group to teach elementary kids about being trans
– $500k for a DEI zoo
– $400k for a group to gives clothes… pic.twitter.com/sDcz8bgvMX

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) March 22, 2024

About that $400k for clothes – that includes giving 13-year-old children chest binders, tuck equipment, and “counseling” without parental consent.

BREAKING: The House Appropriations Committee just released a $1.2 trillion government spending bill at 2AM.

Slipped in there is $400k from our taxes funneled to Briarpatch Youth Services.

Briarpatch YS gives 13-year-old kids chest binders, tuck equipment, “counseling” all… pic.twitter.com/CmMxmFivPU

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) March 21, 2024

The bill is opposed by the House Freedom Caucus (described by Fox News as “ultra-conservative), which has accused House GOP leadership of accepting a weak deal that doesn’t score conservative victories.