WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) was one GOP Illinois Congressional member that opposed House passage of H.R. 244, the FY2017 Consolidated Appropriations Act, a $1.1 trillion bill to fund the government through September.
The controversial bill passed the House Wednesday afternoon in a 309 to 118 vote, with 103 Republicans opposing. Update: IL Congressman Peter Roskam (IL-06) and Darin LaHood (IL-18) were the only other Illinois GOP caucus members that also voted "no."
“I cannot in good conscience vote for this massive spending bill with little reforms or reductions to the spending of taxpayer dollars," Hultgren said. "It does nothing to reverse the growth of our national debt now nearing $20 trillion. Another continuing resolution moves us farther from regular order and the path of meaningful debt reduction. It doesn’t follow through on the promises we made to Americans calling for a change in direction. Our constituents, our kids and our grandkids deserve better.”
The Washington Post summarizes the latest federal budget bill:
The House voted to approve a roughly $1.1 trillion spending bill which includes more than $15 billion in defense spending and $1.5 billion in money for U.S. border security. The measure is expected to come up for a vote later this week in the Senate ahead of a deadline to keep the government open past Friday.
The spending measure, which passed 309-118, also contains nearly $5 billion domestic spending increases, including $295 million to help Puerto Rico continue making payments to Medicaid, $61 million to reimburse local law enforcement agencies for the cost of protecting Trump when he travels to his residences in Florida and New York, major priorities for Democrats. The bipartisan agreement comes after weeks of tense negotiations that briefly broke down after President Trump insisted that the spending measure include money to begin building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump dropped those demands, clearing the way for a final deal.
