Some lawmakers hope for $1.7 trillion Christmas gift

Christmas is nearly here, and some of our lawmakers in Washington D.C. are hoping for a big Christmas present by the end of this week. If Santa, urged on by the Democrats and a few Republicans like Mitch McConnell, grants their wish, they’ll go home for Christmas with a new $1.7 trillion 2023 omnibus spending bill.
    I am puzzled every time this comes around on why the appropriations committees don’t get their work done sooner. We all know the answer, however—the later it’s put out the less time the serious ones (who want to read what they’re voting on) have to see what’s in it.
            This bill has 4,155 pages and senators and congressmen didn’t see it until “the wee hours Tuesday morning,” according to one news report.
    And, they’re supposed to pass it before the 117th Congress ends its term Friday. They act like college students who wait until the night before it’s due to begin working on that 20-page term paper. But, we pay these people in Washington, D.C.—and they are not doing their jobs, at least those on appropriations committees in this case.
    I queried earlier why they always wait so long for releasing these major pieces of legislation. It was supposed to be finished by Oct. 1, when the government’s fiscal year began. Maybe it’s because of some of what’s in it, such as:
     $1 million for “Zora’s House” in Ohio, a coworking and community space for women and gender-expansive people of color.
    $3 million for an American LGBTQ+Museum in New York City, and another $856,000 for the LGBT Center in New York.
    And let’s not forget California—the bill earmarks $750,000 for workforce development programs for transgender and gender nonconforming and intersex immigrant women in Los Angeles.
    $45 billion in emergency spending to aid Ukraine in its fight against Russia. That amount is even $7 billion more than President Joe Biden requested.
    Then there’s money to possibly move the FBI headquarters. I couldn’t find the figure, but it’s certainly a big chunk, all while the FBI is being looked at for its influence on social media companies before the 2020 election.
    Concerning the specific “wish items” for states like New York, why don’t they use state funds for that? These are federal dollars to run all aspects of our government; if they want an LGBT Center in New York, let their residents pay for it.
    It’s up in the air whether the spendthrifts in D.C. will get this bill passed. If could be tough with some vocal GOP opposition. A short-term spending bill is the better answer so lawmakers can read it and vote in January. Let the new lawmakers elected in November have a say—let’s remember, voters threw out the Democratic House majority and the Dems will no longer control all three houses of government. Waiting to read the bill—now that would be a more logical gift.