The House on Wednesday passed a fiscal 2022 omnibus spending package, as well as a four-day stopgap measure extending current funding levels through March 15 to ensure there’s no lapse in appropriations while the Senate works to get the larger measure to President Joe Biden’s desk.
But passage of the omnibus — filed in the wee hours of Wednesday morning and five months after the fiscal year began — did not come without drama. Democratic leaders had to send the bill back to the Rules Committee Wednesday evening to strip $15.6 billion in funding for immediate COVID-19 needs and move that as a stand-alone bill — which ultimately was delayed until next week.
