In order to prevent yet another government shutdown, majority of the Republicans unexpectedly formed an alliance to the US$1.1 trillion White House spending bill vote amid contradictions from the Democrats, who argues that the 2015 federal budget channels personal campaign interests.
With a final result of 219-206 votes in favor of the proposed budget, House Speaker John Boehner greeted the members of the Congress a successful "Thank you and Merry Christmas". Fifty-seven Democrats supported the bill, while 67 Republicans voted "no".
The talks for house spending bill vote started Thursday night with White House Chief-of-Staff Denis McDonough leading the campaign to urge opposition support the "cromnibus". Just three hours short of another government shutdown, the final votes came in.
The house spending bill vote was stalled twice since March 2014 when Congress had to reconvene for the Department of Homeland Security budget cuts. But for the Democrats, the 1,600-page bill is leaning more towards expanded financing for political parties and limited improvements on immigration laws and the revamp of Medicare and Medicaid.
"I don't see the benefit of us losing our soul over two great issues that are the problems of our time," said minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), citing that the passing of the budget will make way for risky bank reforms.
The same sentiments were aired Wednesday by some rank-and-file Democrats, who criticized the move as a go signal for banks' easy trading of derivatives. The following day, Pelosi met with other Republicans saying that he did not like the bill, but a government shutdown is also not in the list of options.
To counter the brewing opposition struggle, Vice President Joe Biden including Jeffrey Zients, chair of the National Economic Council began phoning Democrat representatives such as Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) and Rep. Robert Pittenger (D-NC).
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a known Democrat critic described the house spending bill vote as "the worst of government for the rich and powerful." Independent senator Bernard Sanders added, "It's a budget that does not reflect the needs of the working families of this country."
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