Both Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Joni Ernst voted in favor of a $1.5 trillion package to fund the federal government through the current fiscal year. The bill passed 68-31 and moves to President Joe Biden’s desk just one day before a temporary funding measure expires.
The bill includes $13.6 billion in aid for Ukraine. Democrat priorities included in the bill include increased funding for child care as well as climate resiliency. Republicans were hopeful to pass higher military spending.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the bill is “good news for our country.”
Amendments offered by Senators Mike Lee, Mike Braun and John Kennedy failed — one would have blocked enforcement of federal vaccine mandates, another eliminated earmarks and the third provided disaster relief for Louisiana.
Republican Sen. Rick Scott said senators did not have “anywhere near the time to actually read” the bill.
Senator Marsha Blackburn said Democrats tried holding hostage “critical military resources” to get the bill passed.
“Tennesseans are tired of radicals in Washington wasting our hard-earned tax dollars, which is why I voted against this reckless spending bill,” she said. “Democrats are at it again with a 2,700+ page reckless spending bill to fund their woke agenda. Tennesseans should not be forced to fund $40 million for Pelosi’s neighborhood park and $1.6 million to study shellfish in Rhode Island.”
Democrats want to spend $1.5 trillion of your tax dollars to fund their pet projects. pic.twitter.com/x0p8yCHFLT
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) March 11, 2022
Senator Mike Braun called the spending bill a “disgrace.”
“It spends more money on swamp earmarks than it does on humanitarian aid to Ukraine,” he wrote. “And while inflation hits record highs D.C.’s answer is to spend another trillion dollars we don’t have. NO, NO, NO.
“Congress got rid of earmarks 10 years ago. But now the swamp has brought them back. Tonight 34 of my colleagues joined my amendment to cut the 367 pages and $8 billion of pork barrel pet projects out of this spending bill. We won’t give up!”
Senator Marco Rubio said funding for Ukraine should have passed two weeks ago. Nonetheless, he voted against the bill.
“Democrats held it hostage so it could ram through thousands of earmarks, Green New Deal programs, the hiring of 10,000 IRS agents and other woke priorities buried in thousands of pages. This is a ridiculous process.”
Rubio said “no one has had a chance to read this.”
We should have passed funding for Ukraine 2 weeks ago.
But instead,Democrats held it hostage so it could ram through thousands of earmarks,green new deal programs,the hiring of 10000 IRS agents & other woke priorities buried in thousands of pages.This is a ridiculous process. pic.twitter.com/1SLC91Q2pU— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 11, 2022
Once again, weak-kneed Iowan senators cave to the Marxists. And We March on to ever greater debt that even my great grandchildren can’t repay under our current federal reserve banking system.
Helping Klaus Schwab achieve his global goal of people owning nothing and “being happy”.
Such a disgrace to Iowa and to the United States.
Ernst and Grassley are a disgrace. So sorry to have them spending my tax dollars on a bill that had a chance to finally block federal mandates and save people’s jobs. But nope, they continue to vote for printing more money we don’t have and thus fueling inflation. They should be part of the Socialist Republicans.
Grassley and Ernst are obviously not on the side of the People, they are on the side of the Globalists. I know many in Iowa are waking up to this knowledge but it would be good to have more!