“It looks like our military men and women are yet one more casualty on the way to making sure that the billionaires get everything they want,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
His criticism was aimed at the spending bill that was passed on March 14 by all but one Republican and 10 Democrats. Most Democrats in the House and Senate opposed the bill, voicing their criticisms for the spending cuts being proposed, as well as the fact they were left out of negotiations.
This legislation aims to keep the government open and funded until September. Democrats hoped to use a 30-day continuing resolution on the floor as leverage to renegotiate the spending bill in a bipartisan way. The bill boosts border enforcement funding, increases defense spending by $6 billion and decreases nondefense spending by $13 billion. It does not include specific language telling Trump’s administration how to distribute the funding, which worries Democrats.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was one of the Democrats to vote in favor of the bill. He told reporters the reasoning behind his vote, claiming that a government shutdown would have been worse because it would give President Trump and Elon Musk free reign to make
cuts he feels are “even more draconian” than the cuts outlined in the bill.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) echoed this sentiment when explaining why he would also be voting in favor of the bill. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), disagreed with this move, and said that her fellow Democrats’ decisions were “a huge slap in the face”. Some Democrats have made comments suggesting Shumer may no longer be fit for his role as Senate Minority Leader, while others didn’t answer.
Many amendments were proposed and denied before the vote. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) proposed to reinstate veterans who had been fired from federal jobs. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), the only Republican to vote against the bill, proposed to codify cuts to foreign assistance recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) proposed an elimination of the $20 billion rescission of IRS tax enforcement funding. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) suggested the elimination of DOGE. All amendments were struck down
by the Republican majority or bipartisan votes.
Both Connecticut Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy voted against the bill. The cut in non-defense spending could have a heavy impact on Connecticut residents, specifically those who are enrolled in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace.
Blumenthal said in a press release, “The Republican House bill slashes billions from community budgets for police officers, firefighters, and teachers and critical federal investments in the NIH’s cancer and Alzheimer’s research. It cedes unwarranted, broad, unbridled discretion to President Trump, creating in effect a personal slush fund. Republicans decided to barrel forward with this reprehensible and reckless bill without making any effort at bipartisan legislation.”
Glen Mulready, Oklahoma’s insurance commissioner, has warned people about the consequences of $338 billion in federal health insurance subsidies not being extended. He claims health insurance premiums will spike significantly. This lack of extensions will not only affect Oklahoma.
It will affect the 129,000 Connecticut residents who were enrolled in a Qualified Health Plan last year. These Qualified Health Plans are defined by their compliance with requirements established by the ACA like limits on cost sharing and the provided essential health benefits. A spike in insurance premiums will price out a lot of lower-income Connecticut residents that rely on affordable premiums to afford health insurance. Without this option, countless Connecticut families will be left without health insurance which will have a negative impact on people’s health and ability to receive care.
