House Passes Two FY 2019 Spending Bills

Yesterday the House passed two FY 2019 spending bills; HR 265, for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and related agencies; and HR 267, for Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies. Both bills passed by near party-line votes; HR 265 – 243 to 183 and HR 267 – 244 to 180.

The final spending bill in this series (HR 266, for Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies) will be considered on the floor today. A similar result is expected.

NOTE: None bills contains cybersecurity or chemical security/transportation provisions that would lead to detailed coverage here.

None of these spending bills is likely to be considered in the Senate. Yesterday during an attempt to consider HR 21, the FY 2019 Consolidated Spending Bill, under the Senate’s unanimous consent process, Sen. McConnel (R,KY) objected to consideration of the bill (pg S 113). In his discussion leading up to the official objection to proceeding McConnel noted:

“We [McConnel and Sen. Schumer (D,NY)] agreed that we wouldn’t waste the Senate’s time on show votes related to government funding until a global agreement was reached that could pass the House, pass the Senate, and which the President could sign.”

Thus, until all five (McConnel, Schumer, Rep. Pelosi (D,CA), Rep. McCarthy (R,CA) and President Trump) reach an agreement on the termination of the Federal Funding Fiasco, the Senate is unlikely to consider any spending bill.