- The government funding bill ran into a last-minute snag on Wednesday.
- Pelosi ejected $15 billion in new COVID-19 cash after members objected to clawing back state aid.
- Democrats publicly stuck to their timeline of Wednesday passage of a huge government funding bill.
Some Democrats launched a revolt Wednesday afternoon over planned cuts to state and local aid to fund additional coronavirus relief, delaying a planned House vote on a $1.5 trillion government funding bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was ultimately forced to drop the new COVID-19 cash.
The objections were concentrated among Democrats that could lose out on federal funding their states had previously been appropriated to combat the pandemic. The 2,741-page funding bill was introduced in the early hours of Wednesday with a vote scheduled in the early afternoon.
But the House vote vote was imperiled once Democrats from Michigan, Florida, Washington state and more learned about $15 billion in coronavirus relief meant to shore up virus testing and vaccine distribution. The bill would finance around half of that from clawing back money from states sitting on aid from the stimulus law approved last year. That had been a top Republican demand and one that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell claimed a victory on earlier in the day.
Democrats from affected states balked at the measure. "This deal was cut behind closed doors," Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota told reporters. "Members found out this morning. This is completely unacceptable."
Others were upset as well. Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington put in calls to the White House, other members of the state's Congressional delegation and the governor, per a House Democratic aide familiar with the situation. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told DelBene that the state could lose $400 million in COVID-19 funding if the legislation passed.
The anger also stretched into progressive ranks. "In Missouri, this funding was already appropriated to fund childcare, healthcare, housing, and our schools," Rep. Cori Bush said in a statement. "To turn around and now say we're taking hundreds of millions of dollars back, in the name of bipartisanship is just unbelievable."
Pelosi was ultimately forced to abandon the extra COVID-cash, calling it "heartbreaking" in a statement on Wednesday afternoon. But she insisted the measure needed to pass on Wednesday to deliver emergency funding for Ukraine.
Democrats had readied a four-day funding patch to keep the government's doors open beyond Friday as a back-up.
It was not immediately clear when the broad spending package could clear the lower chamber. House Democrats must return to the Rules Committee to revise the bill and send it out to the floor. Then they must approve a rule on the floor setting the parameters of debate with two hours of debate ensuing. It seemed possible the vote could stretch well into the evening.
"Things are going exactly according to plan," Rep. Jim McGovern, chair of the Rules panel, said with a hint of sarcasm on the House floor. "Everything is beautiful in its own way."
The House adjourned soon after so Democrats could iron out the differences on the spending bill.