WASHINGTON — Whether it was because of holiday plans, a “bomb cyclone” or the fact that some of them won’t be doing this job in a few weeks, the House was definitely not packed for the final votes of the year as the chamber passed the fiscal 2023 omnibus spending bill.
On Thursday, 166 members voted by proxy, taking advantage of the pandemic-era policy that Republicans have vowed to end in the next Congress, when they will be in the majority. That number grew to more than half the chamber’s current 431 members Friday as the House approved a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package on the day before Christmas Eve and as a massive winter storm bore down on much of the country.
“The members have planes to catch, gifts to wrap, toys to assemble, carols to sing, religious services to attend to,” said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., during what would likely be her last speech from the floor as speaker on Friday.
