Pelosi stated that the House proposal for foreign aid makes it clear that America is back. She noted that the bill would provide more than $3 billion to combat climate change. This includes the first-ever provision of funding for contributions to Green Climate Fund.Despite the demonstration of Democratic unity, Congress will likely fail to pass new spending amounts before the next fiscal years begins Oct. 1. Given that the Senate has just begun its work in the summer towards funding the government, and the party leaders have yet to agree on totals for non-defense and defense programs, lawmakers are likely to pass another stopgap spending bill in September. This temporary solution could lead to a fiscal cliff in December - a familiar preholidays pressure point.The House will also vote on a seven-bill funding package worth $600 billion later in the week, thereby passing nine spending measures. Democratic leaders are still struggling to get enough support for the three bills funding the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce and Justice. The caucus is divided on issues such as the Pentagon's budget and immigration funding.During Wednesday's debate, Republicans claimed that the spending bills were overfunded at the cost of the military. They also claimed it was a waste to spend time deliberating in the absence a more comprehensive bipartisan agreement on government funding.They won't be considered by the Senate and will not become law. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (Republican from Pennsylvania) was critical of the bills. With the Sept. 30 deadline for funding the government approaching, I would hope that my liberal colleagues from across the aisle would join with Republicans to create a bipartisan appropriations bill that could make it to President Obama's desk.The floor action on the Legislative Branch, State-Foreign Operations and State-Foreign Operations legislations was repeatedly delayed Wednesday by Republicans who forced multiple procedural votes to protest a new requirement that House staff and lawmakers don their masks once more in order to reduce the spread of the Delta variant.After calling for a vote to block House action, Rep. Chip Roy (R.Texas), said that this institution was a fraud and called for an adjournment and closing of the place.Rep. Tim Ryan (D. Ohio), who oversees Legislative Branch funding stressed that lawmakers are coming in from hotspots across the country, posing a risk to the immunocompromised as well as other vulnerable individuals.These things are horrible. Ryan spoke out about the face masks and how it was horrible to have to put them back on. We do it because we were asked by the top doctor.Democrats voted to abandon a contentious pay increase for legislators in their Legislative Branch bill. This is a cost-of living bump that Congress members have not received for more than a decade. The bill directs the Architect to create a plaque honoring law enforcement officers who protected the Capitol during the Jan. 6 Insurrection.The Legislative Branch bill was amended by the House to provide more funding of $3.5 million to address accessibility issues in the Capitol Building, which is more than 200 years old.Rep. Glenn Grothman (R. Wis.), who proposed language that would allow certain immigrants to work in Congress, provided they meet the requirements for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, was rejected by the House. Another Grothman amendment was also defeated by lawmakers. It would have cost $1.5 million to the House office that promotes diversity and inclusion.The State-Foreign Operations bill proposes a more than 12 percent increase in funding. This includes more than $18 billion for State Department and $1.8 million for U.S. Agency for International Development. Republicans claim that the bill doesn't include long-standing bans on foreign aid being used for abortion providers. This is a fatal flaw which will prevent the government from funding this year.Heather Caygle contributed to the report.
