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In yet another display of how establishment Republicans prioritize power and politics over their own base, RINO Susan Collins (R-ME) is set to take the reins of one of the most influential committees in Congress.Reports confirm Collins is poised to become Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, a role that wields unparalleled control over discretionary federal spending.This news comes on the heels of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s announcement that he will relinquish the chairmanship, paving the way for Collins, who currently serves as vice chair, to step into the position.The Appropriations Committee oversees billions of taxpayer dollars, deciding how...

Democrat lawmaker Chellie Pingree called for less border security and advocated for more migrants to be bused to her state, claiming there aren't 'enough locals to fill jobs.' The Representative from Maine, who has served as Maine's 1st congressional district since 2009, spoke for over two minutes during a House Appropriations Committee debate on the fiscal year 2025 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill. She expressed support for a Democrat-proposed amendment that would redirect $600 million from border fencing construction to a FEMA-administered municipal emergency shelter program, the Shelter and Services Program. The program would pay for migrant housing...

Congress unveiled the first six appropriations bills on Sunday to fund the government for most of 2024. The rollout of the appropriations bills follows Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other congressional leaders striking a deal to avert a government shutdown and fund the government for most of 2024. The six appropriations bills would fund the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, Justice, Commerce, and Energy. The bipartisan package amounts to 1,050-pages and includes more than $450 billion in funding for the fiscal year 2024.

Congressional leaders in the House and Senate have reached a deal on a spate of appropriations bills, clearing the way for a short-term spending patch that would extend funding deadlines further into March. Appropriators finalized the agreement on Wednesday, two sources told the Washington Examiner, just three days before the government is set to enter a partial shutdown. The proposal would maintain the two-pronged deadlines Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has advocated but would extend the dates slightly to give lawmakers time to finalize the legislative text and bring them to the floor for votes. “We are in agreement that Congress...

The House approved a measure late Tuesday that would slash Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's taxpayer-funded government salary to just $1. The bill - which was introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. - was passed via voice vote Tuesday as an amendment to the 2024 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, the standalone funding bill for the General Services Administration, Securities and Exchange Commission and other related agencies. "I’m proud to announce my amendment to FIRE Pete Buttigieg just PASSED the House. Pothole Pete staged fake bike rides to the White House and used private planes funded by taxpayers...

The White House on Monday issued veto threats against two GOP-led House appropriations bills expected to come up for a vote this week as lawmakers seek to avoid a government shutdown in November. The administration expressed its opposition to two funding bills likely to come up on the House floor in the coming days — one that would fund the Department of the Interior, Environment and related agencies, and another that would fund the Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and related agencies.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Republicans will try again to move forward on fiscal 2024 spending legislation on Thursday, with a procedural vote on a defense appropriations bill. After a 2-1/2 hour closed-door meeting with members of his Republican majority, the California Republican also said lawmakers were "very close" to agreement on a short-term stopgap measure to avert a government shutdown on Sept. 30. break On Tuesday, opposition from five Republicans defeated a vote intended to open debate on a $886 billion defense spending bill. Those five Republicans were hardliners who wanted assurances that fiscal 2024 appropriations...

Washington (AP) — Congressional leaders are pitching a stopgap government funding package to avoid a federal shutdown after next month, acknowledging the House and Senate are nowhere near agreement on spending levels to keep federal operations running. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy raised the idea of a months-long funding package, known as a continuing resolution, to House Republicans on a members-only call Monday evening, according to those familiar with the private session and granted anonymity to discuss it. On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the two leaders had spoken about such a temporary measure. It would extend federal funding...

Today, I have signed into law H.R. 1865, the “Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020” (the “Act”), which authorizes appropriations to fund the operation of certain agencies in the Federal Government through September 30, 2020. Certain provisions of the Act (such as Division J, sections 203 and 206) purport to restrict the President’s constitutional authority as Commander in Chief to control the personnel and materiel that the President believes to be necessary or advisable for the successful conduct of military missions. Other provisions of the Act (such as Division F, section 110, and language under the heading “Contributions for International Peacekeeping...

During a speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) stated that it is in everyone’s interest “to keep the president away from the appropriations process and avoid another Trump shutdown before Christmas.” Schumer said, “I believe, left to our own devices, Congress could work through the final issues and make sure the government stays open. However, a report came out yesterday suggesting President Trump may refuse to sign any funding agreement without securing funding for his border wall first. … I hope cooler heads will prevail. I believe they will. But I’ve warned President...

May 21 (UPI) -- A U.S. House subcommittee wants to approve only half of the Pentagon's spare parts purchases for F-35 jets in reviewing 2020 budgetary plans. Last week, the Democrat-led House Appropriations Committee released a draft of the fiscal year 2020 defense funding bill, which includes $690.2 billion in discretionary spending. The legislation includes 90 F-35 aircraft, 12 more than requested, and eight F-15EX aircraft, meant to recapitalize the F-15C/D fleet in the U.S. military. … The panel plans to approve half of the $728.7 million request for spare parts for Navy and Air Force F-35s until the Pentagon...

Is There Someone at FR Who Can Explain Funding Programs via Congress. I need to understand who shepherded funding through for a portion of the government. Is that something that can be searched? PM mail me please?

(a) Transmittal of special message Whenever the President, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the head of any department or agency of the United States, or any officer or employee of the United States proposes to defer any budget authority provided for a specific purpose or project, the President shall transmit to the House of (1) the amount of the budget authority proposed to be deferred; (2) any account, department, or establishment of the Government to which such budget authority is available for obligation, and the specific projects or governmental functions involved; (3) the period of time...

Job One. Congress has one task mandated by the Constitution: ensuring that the Federal Government has funds appropriated to continue operations. Click on the links in the column on the right. The last time all appropriations bills were passed individually prior to the start of the fiscal year was 1994. The last time the spending laws were passed on time was 1996, but that included an omnibus appropriation.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, on Tuesday said there should be no Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) amnesty deal contained within the government funding bill coming up in January. The important move by Meadows aims to take government shutdown leverage away from Democrats in the upcoming DACA battles — something that President Donald Trump alluded to on Tuesday morning on Twitter when he bashed Democrats for not being serious about DACA solutions.

PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's decision to again take for other uses state gas tax money intended to help cities and counties build and repair roads is getting a cold reception from some in the Legislature. The Republican governor's budget proposal for the year starting July 1 eliminates $86.5 million in highway spending in the current year, a decision likely to spur a fight with lawmakers from both parties who have been seeking a permanent stop to shifts of cash for road work to other uses. Legislation that would bar the practice and require gas tax money only...

An LGBT measure derailed a $37.5 billion House energy and water spending bill and now threatens to bring the entire appropriations process to a grinding halt in the House. The amendment from Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., would codify a 2014 executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Opponents characterize the Maloney amendment as a violation of conscience rights. They fear that the failed amendment could require federal contractors to provide special status to members of the LGBT community or lose their business with the federal government. With the support of...

The U.S. Senate’s first spending bill of 2016 spends more than President Barack Obama requested and lacks significant conservative amendments, but it still sailed to passage in the Republican-led Senate Thursday. An overwhelming number of U.S. senators on both sides of the aisle approved the energy and water development appropriations bill by a vote of 90-8. Conservatives had objected to the higher spending levels and lack of policy riders in the weeks leading up to the vote.

Former Secretary of State and current presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is scheduled to appear before the House Select Committee on Benghazi on October 22, 2015. For those of you expecting anything near the truth to be outed during this hearing, guess again. The whole structure of the congressional committee hearings is to give the members of Congress an opportunity to bloviate, obfuscate and create campaign sound bites. Nothing is geared toward finding the truth.

US District Court Judge Rosemary M. Collyer ruled Wednesday against the Obama administration's motion to dismiss the case. Collyer said House Republicans do have the standing to pursue their challenge, which argues that the Obama administration violated the US Constitution by spending money on the law that had not been appropriated by Congress.