NASHVILLE – Tennessee and Georgia Republican lawmakers in Congress split this week on approval of a $1.5 trillion government-funding package that included $13.6 billion in defense and other assistance for Ukraine and other Eastern European countries dealing with Russian aggression.
Some GOP lawmakers voted against the measure, complaining it was rushed through or had other issues they disagreed with – or both.
The 2,741-page House bill was divided into two, with each receiving separate votes. One vote was for the military and defense spending portion, which included the funds for Ukraine and Eastern Europe assistance. The second vote covered funding for other government functions. The amounts were roughly divided in half, providing funding through the remainder of the current fiscal year, Sept. 30.
Both were approved by the House on Wednesday. The military aid section, which included the funding for Ukraine defense and other areas, was approved on a 361-69 vote, with 54 Republicans and 15 liberal Democrats voting against it.
Among those voting no were U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, R-Tenn., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., who is the ranking Republican member on the House Appropriations Committee, voted for the measure.
The second portion of the measure dealing with domestic programs and operations was approved 260 to 171, with DesJarlais and Greene again voting no while Fleischmann voted yes.
The U.S. Senate approved the bill Thursday on a 68-31 vote. U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty, both Tennessee Republicans, voted no. Voting yes were U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both Georgia Democrats. Also voting yes were U.S. Sens. Richard Shelby and Tommy Tuberville, both Alabama Republicans. Shelby is a member of the Senate Finance Committee.
“They did NOT tell anyone or announce this debate on the bill until after midnight!” Greene said in a Wednesday tweet. “We woke up to 2,741 pages and we vote today! Here is how much the Democrats are appropriating in the $1.5 Trillion Omnibus bill. BILLIONS in spending increases in almost every department. Are they going to blame inflation? I thought Joe [Biden] said to just to cut cost. I guess that just goes for the lowly taxpayers.”
In a statement to the Times Free Press on Friday, Fleischmann said the omnibus spending bill is not the bill that he would have written.
“But it provides stable funding for our nation through the rest of the fiscal year, strengthens the border security that our nation desperately needs and increases funding for our military at a time when the world is extremely dangerous,” he said. “This bill is a major win for our homeland security, border security and defense.”
Noting lawmakers secured an additional $1.9 billion for border wall construction, Fleischmann said the legislation also provides a $400 million increase for the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement agency, an $800 million increase for border control as well as funds continuing former President Donald Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” program, plus an additional $100 million to hire more Border Patrol agents.
In an email, DesJarlais told the Times Free Press, “President Biden in his State of the Union address just last week advocated for economically detrimental Build Back Better policies that Americans have made clear they do not want. The Consolidated Appropriations Act gives way to many of the failed policies that are responsible for the massive inflation we are facing in our country. I voted no on H.R. 2471 because the good folks in Tennessee’s Fourth Congressional District are being harmed by the progressive mass tax and spend agenda.”
DesJarlais spokesperson Alex Swisher stated in an email Friday: “Congressman DesJarlais supports Ukraine. The aid package should absolutely have been a stand-alone bill. Omnibus legislating is an irresponsible practice that does not allow for debate on individual appropriations.”
Another bipartisan bill approved by the House was the Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act, which would ban Russian energy imports in response to President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. It passed 414 to 17, with both DesJarlais and Greene voting no.
Fleischmann spokesman Justin Doil stated via email, “Congressman Fleischmann has been clear from the beginning of Russia’s unwarranted invasion of Ukraine that the U.S. and our allies must do everything possible to punish [Russian President] Putin for his aggression.”
Doil said Fleischmann also agrees with President Joe Biden’s executive order to ban Russian oil, which the president did in the hours before Wednesday’s House vote. He noted his boss also believes the current energy crisis underscores the need to “re-secure” American energy independence.
“Rep. Fleischmann is glad that the House came together in an overwhelming bipartisan majority to ban Russian oil imports and show Putin and the world that the United States Congress is united in standing against the invasion of Ukraine,” Doil said.
Swisher called the Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act a meaningless bill.
“The Biden administration already banned the importation of Russian energy,” she said. “This piece of legislation did nothing to support American energy independence.”
Democrats and others say the legislation goes further than Biden’s executive order.
In a tweet, U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, stated, “banning imports of Russian oil is a painful step for Americans but necessary to hurt Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine. We should be able to lower gas prices at the pump to make up for loss of Russian oil on the world market and still cripple Putin’s evil regime.”
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, celebrated its passage.
“The House just passed a ban on Russian oil. It’s time to Stick It To Putin At The Pump! #StickItToPutin,” Cohen tweeted.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.