Reps. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, and Kevin Hern, R-Okla., told Newsmax Wednesday that the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill that will fund the government through the end of 2023 and is being quickly pushed through the lame duck Congress is "a disgrace," and "crazy."
"I think this entire process is but a complete disgrace to the American people," Van Duyne said during "The Chris Salcedo Show" Wednesday. "They drop a bill that's 4,100 pages at 1:23 a.m. in the morning, and it prevents us from focusing on an area that should be a priority to every single member of Congress and the Senate, and that is what is happening on our southern border."
She said that the crisis there includes the huge influx of illegal migrants coming across the border, bringing in opioids like the deadly drug fentanyl, which has killed more than 100,000 Americans this year alone.
"Instead, you're seeing $1.7 trillion in spending dropped on Congress, moments before we're supposed to vote on it, that is focused on other countries that are not necessarily friendly to the U. S.," she said. "It is an absolute disgrace that [President Joe Biden's] administration is basically no more than a logistical transportation support for drug cartels that are bringing people into this country illegally, that are doing horrendous crime, and they're denying that it's happening, and this is all by plan."
Reuters reported Tuesday that the bill, which increases spending by $1.5 billion over 2022, passed the Senate 70-25, and now will go to the House for approval before heading to Biden’s desk for a signature.
"We're moving toward completing the business for the year," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in the report Tuesday. "And I think in a highly productive way from the point of view of the vast majority of Senate Republicans."
Hern said the massive spending package does not include resources or any provisions to increase security along the border in the coming year, and is being whisked through Congress now while Democrats, who held the majority for the last two years did nothing on the budget.
"What we have is an ominous bill that is packed with spending," Hern said. "What's crazy about all of this is the Democrats have had complete control of the House, the Senate, and the White House, for the last two years. They've done no budget, there has been no budget done, no regular appropriation of the 12 appropriation bills, and here we are just putting this massive spending right at the end of the year."
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.