Cromnibus Survives, 219-206 [Updated]

It took nearly 60 Democrats to get the job done, but John Boehner and Barack Obama combined to slide the continuing resolution/omnibus spending bill through Congress. Still no explanation of why it is better to fund the fiscal year now, rather than in a month or two when Republicans control both chambers.

Many conservatives are upset about the bill because it doesn’t attempt to de-fund amnesty. That isn’t my main concern; on the contrary, I can see the logic of putting that vote off until Republicans control the Senate and can force the Democrats to either 1) filibuster for illegal immigrants, or 2) veto a very popular measure, on behalf of the same constituency. Or would-be constituency, in this case.

In my view, the real misfortune here is that Republicans under Boehner’s leadership are continuing the Democrats’ approach to legislation: massive spending bills negotiated in secret by three or four people; hundreds or thousands of pages that can’t possibly be read, let alone debated, presented as a fait accompli to be voted on immediately, with no amendments; the inevitable special interest nuggets buried here and there, that emerge only after the fact. This is unacceptable. Republicans can do better, and must do better. John Boehner, in fundamental ways, doesn’t understand his own party. We need a new Speaker of the House.

UPDATE: These are the 67 Republicans who voted against the omnibus spending bill. I note that Tom Cotton and Michele Bachmann both voted No, one of their last acts in the House. Click to enlarge:

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