Did you know Congress just passed a trillion dollar spending bill? It now goes to the White House for President Obama's signature.

MSgt Curtis Ellis — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 12:20:40 -0500

I GET TO KEEP WORKING!!! YAYYY!!! :D

The $1.1 trillion dollar spending deal easily passed both chambers of Congress on Friday morning after weeks of negotiations to fund the government through September.

The bill, commonly referred to as the omnibus, passed the House 316 to 113 in one of the last votes that chamber's members took this year.The Senate followed suit and easily passed the measure, 65-33.

The legislation, which also includes a package of extended tax breaks called 'tax extenders,' now goes to the White House for President Obama's signature.

Despite last minute complaints from House Democrats, they were able to produce 166 votes for the bill to push the legislation through that chamber. The tax extenders bill passed the House on Thursday, 318-109.

"Today, the House came together to ensure our government is open and working for the American people. This bipartisan compromise secures meaningful wins for Republicans and the American people, such as the repeal of the outdated, anti-growth ban on oil exports," Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said in a statement after the House vote.

Both sides admitted the spending package wasn't perfect but acknowledged that's what happens in divided government.

"This is a big win for American's working families. I am very proud of the big vote that we had from our members once they saw what was really, what was actually in the bill," Pelosi told reporters at a press conference following the House vote.

While Republicans hailed lifting the 40-year ban on exporting American crude oil in the deal — arguably their sides biggest win in the agreement — Democrats called it a "very harmful" ingredient causing much of the uncertainty in how the vote would come out.

"After long and serious study of the bill's details, I concluded that while I detest lifting the oil export ban, I will not empower Big Oil to upend so many victories for hard-working American families," Pelosi wrote in a letter to her Democratic colleagues Thursday urging them to support the legislation after its passage appeared in jeopardy.

No language was included in the omnibus that helped provide any debt relief for Puerto Rico — another gripe from Democrats who called it "profoundly disappointing."

"Puerto Rico's fiscal crisis is a problem that is not going away any time soon," Ryan said in a statement this week. "I am instructing our House committees of jurisdiction to work with the Puerto Rican government to come up with a responsible solution by the end of the first quarter of next year."

The assurance by the Speaker to address the dire situation in Puerto Rico early in 2016 seemed to help put some Democrats at ease.

Despite language being left out of the omnibus making it harder for Syrian refugees to enter the United States or trying to defund Planned Parenthood — two main wants from conservatives — a majority of Republicans still rallied behind the measure.

Ryan — who only became Speaker at the end of October — has reiterated that he inherited a cake "more than half-baked" from his predecessor John Boehner, R-Ohio, forcing a massive spending deal to be jammed through Congress just before the holidays rather than letting the committee process work its will. Next year, Ryan vowed, the process will be different.

"In 2016 we will make it our goal to pass all 12 appropriation bills through regular order…this hasn't been done since 1994. But it's how Congress ought to operate so that we can better protect the tax payer dollars and make our place the true representative body that it is," Ryan said at a press conference Thursday.

With 150 House Republicans voting in favor of the measure, that is seen as a major vote of confidence in the new Speaker to lead the party after conservatives forced out Boehner earlier this fall.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/house-overwhelmingly-passes-triillion-dollar-spending-bill-n482451

Congress Passes Trillion Dollar Spending Bill

The $1.1 trillion dollar spending deal easily passed both chambers of Congress on Friday morning after weeks of negotiations.

Response by MCPO Roger Collins made Dec 18 at 2015 1:29 PM

MCPO Roger Collins — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 13:29:57 -0500

Significant win for Obama, Pelosi and Reid.
The Democrats are all over the media bragging about their win. Now Hillary and
Bernie have nothing left to buy votes with. Paul Ryan and the Republican controlled Congress gave them an early Christmas present. The tactic of stalling until crisis (never let a crisis go to waste) stage and government shut down threat works every time. Now tell me again why
Trump's poll numbers are so high.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Dec 18 at 2015 1:55 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 13:55:16 -0500

This is why the GOP has been abandoned by its base and Hillary is likely to be the next President.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 18 at 2015 3:06 PM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 15:06:38 -0500

sigh ... it sure feel like the same old things just keep going on, no matter who you put in there...

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Dec 18 at 2015 4:58 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 16:58:40 -0500

They will be spending several billion on future systems like artificial intelligence combined with weapons systems and communications. They should spend $1 million on a conference to discuss how to win these wars.

Response by PVT Robert Gresham made Dec 18 at 2015 9:48 PM

PVT Robert Gresham — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 21:48:46 -0500

MSgt Curtis Ellis. hey !! Christmas did come early !! :-)

Response by CW4 Guy Butler made Dec 19 at 2015 8:01 AM

CW4 Guy Butler — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 08:01:47 -0500

I'm guessing deficits don't matter as much with a Republican controlled Congress.

Response by SPC(P) Jay Heenan made Dec 19 at 2015 2:51 PM

SPC(P) Jay Heenan — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 14:51:47 -0500

This is so dumb! Yet another 2,000 page spending bill shoved through in 48 hours with no time for us constituents to actually let our elected officials know how we feel about it. This is why we need term limits and for it to go back to what it started out to be...a public service, not a career. But hey, what do I know, let's just keep printing that money right? It doesn't matter what is in the actual spending bill...