Senator John Cornyn voted with 18 other Republican Senators to pass the $1.7T omnibus spending package crafted by Senate Democrats. The Senate voted 68-29 to pass the spending package with all Democrat Senators in support. This spending package covers expenses for the 2023 fiscal year preventing any influence of the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives on 2023 spending.
Sen. Cornyn made his case in other Tweets that passing this omnibus package was necessary to keep funding the army and border patrol. What he does not say is that these critical priorities could have been met with a continuing resolution until the Republican-majority House takes control in 2023. The Republicans could have shown unity and peeled off a few Democrat votes to make this vote fail and create leverage for another vote on a continuing resolution.
Senator Ted Cruz highlighted a main issue with passing this omnibus package. The Republicans gave away leverage to accomplish conservative priorities in 2023 and did not listen to voters who gave them the House:
“It is the height of recklessness for Senate Republican leadership to cut a deal with House Democrats who were just voted out of power and give away the leverage that the incoming Republican majority in the House of Representatives could have used to force the Biden administration to change course on policies that are harming America. Without this leverage, the Biden administration will now be able to
- continue the reckless spending spree that has led to uncontrolled inflation.
- They will keep pushing anti-energy policies that have caused gas prices and home heating prices to rise.
- They will continue reckless immigration policies that have led to open borders and a massive influx of deadly drugs and illegal immigration.
- Their soft-on-crime policies will continue to endanger our communities.
- The main beneficiaries of this bill are those on the receiving end of left-wing pet projects and pork-barrel spending while the American people will get stuck paying the bill as they continue to suffer.”
The full list of Republican Senators supporting the $1.7T omnibus spending blowout: Blunt (MO), Boozman (AR), Capito (WV), Collins (ME), Cornyn (TX), Cotton (AR), Graham (SC), Inhofe (OK), McConnell (KY), Moran (KS), Murkowski (AK), Portman (OH), Romney (UT), Rounds (SD), and Shelby (AL), Thune (SD), Wicker (MS), Young (IN).
Three additional Republican Senators were no votes:
- Barrasso (WY), Burr (NC), and Cramer (ND).
