WASHINGTON — Democrats are muscling through a deficit- swelling spending bill, giving domestic programs their third major boost this year and awarding lawmakers with more than 5,000 home-state projects.
The House voted 221-202 Thursday to pass the 1,088- page, $1.1 trillion measure — combining $447 billion in operating budgets with about $650 billion in payments for federal benefit programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. The Senate immediately voted to begin debate, with a final vote likely this weekend.
No House Republicans voted for the bill. Twenty-eight Democrats, chiefly moderates and abortion opponents, opposed it.
The measure provides spending increases averaging about 10 percent to programs under immediate control of Congress. It comes on top of an infusion of cash to domestic agencies in February’s economic- stimulus bill and a $410 billion measure in March that also bestowed budget increases well above inflation.
Also Thursday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., confirmed that the House will vote to raise the cap on government borrowing, currently set at $12.1 trillion. The increase in the debt ceiling is likely to exceed $1.5 trillion so that another politically excruciating vote to raise the limit won’t be needed next year.
The spending bill blends increases for veterans programs, NASA and the FBI with a pay raise for federal workers and help for car dealers. It bundles together six of the 12 annual spending bills, capping a dysfunctional appropriations process in which House leaders blocked Republicans from debating key issues and Senate Republicans dragged out debates.
Just the $626 billion defense bill would remain. That’s being held back to serve as a vehicle to advance must-pass legislation such as the debt increase.
The measure contains 5,224 so-called earmarks totaling $3.9 billion, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a Washington-based watchdog group. Republicans and Democrats share in the largesse, which includes grants to local police departments, money for road and bridge projects, and community and economic-development grants.
Democrats made no apologies for the spending increases, citing domestic programs starved under eight years of President George W. Bush.
“I see these bills as an opportunity to reverse years of neglect — neglect to our roads and bridges, neglect to our lower-income neighbors and friends, neglect to our education system, neglect to our veterans,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.
Colorado’s Democratic representatives voted in favor of the bill, while Republicans opposed it. Included in the bill is funding for Denver-area transportation projects, Denver Health and Metropolitan State College of Denver.
Where the $1.1 trillion is going
Highlights of the spending bill:
• $519 billion in routine payments for Medicare and Medicaid.
• $3.9 billion for more than 5,000 “earmarks.”
• A pay raise for federal employees averaging 2 percent.
• Establishes an appeals process for automobile dealers closed by General Motors and Chrysler.
• Eases restrictions on funds for needle-exchange programs.
• Lets Amtrak passengers transport guns in checked luggage.
• $68.2 billion for the Education Department.
• $109.6 billion for veterans programs, a 15 percent increase, including $45.1 billion for health care.
• $18.7 billion for NASA, a 5 percent increase.
• $7.9 billion for the FBI, a 7 percent increase.
• $3.7 billion for grants to state and local law enforcement.
• $5.1 billion for heating subsidies for the poor, almost 40 percent more than requested.
• $1.6 billion to subsidize Amtrak.
