The US House passed the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package in a 225-201-1 vote, after the Senate passed the bill in a bipartisan 68-29 vote - - sending the bill to President Biden’s desk.

An omnibus spending bill is a type of bill in the United States that packages many of the smaller ordinary appropriations bills into one larger single bill that can be passed with only one vote in each house. Each appropriation contains a sum of money devoted to a special purpose.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took issue with this process by which Congress funded the government for the rest of the fiscal year. Typically, the chambers will vote on appropriations bills for each agency. This year, however, appropriators opted for a single omnibus package to fund all corners of the government. Every Democrat voted for the bill except Ocasio-Cortez; Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) voted present.

The omnibus Bill includes these bills setting aside federal funds for the following purposes that many of may find of interest:

- $600 million in federal funds to fix Jackson’s water crisis and to help rebuild Jackson’s lackluster drinking water system

- The African American Burial Grounds Preservation Program (click to the Omnibus Bill, then go to page 2954 of 4155 to read more) will help identify burial grounds ahead of infrastructure projects and commercial
development, and provide grant monies to identify, interpret, and preserve historic cemeteries. Congress authorized $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027. (Authorization sets the limit that can be spent. An appropriation sets the actual amount that can be spent usually in a year.)

- New Philadelphia (Illinois) National Historic Site. The purpose of the historic site is to protect, preserve, and interpret the historic sources associated with the town of New Philadelphia, the first town in the United States planned and legally registered by a free African American before the Civil War.

- $4 million for Gary/Chicago International Airport to begin designing and constructing a heavy-cargo logistics apron for multiple users, including UPS, which is forced to transfer cargo inside the terminal building.

According to The Hill, the bill included $858 billion in defense spending, a 9.7 percent increase over the year before, while non-defense spending was increased at a rate less than inflation. Yet, several Republican senators including Ron Johnson (WI) slammed Republicans who supported the bill suggesting they waited until Republicans take over The House in the New Year and when they may have gotten a deal more to their liking. (In the November elections, Democrat Mandela Barnes came within roughly 26,000 votes of unseating incumbent Johnson.)

After the bill passed, Speaker of the House in running Kevin McCarthy (R) and outgoing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D) had an interesting exchange: McCarthy said, “This is a monstrosity that is one of the most shameful acts I’ve ever seen in this body.” Pelosi replied, “I can’t help but wonder, had he forgotten January 6th?”