H.R. 133, the 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act, was split in two parts by the House of Representatives under a voting procedure known as “dividing the question.” This part of the bill includes about $519 billion in discretionary appropriations and another $900 billion in coronavirus aid. Its discretionary provisions include a combined $197 billion for the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education departments; $114 billion in mandatory Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding; and $590 million in aid to developing countries. The coronavirus aid provisions include $600 checks per adult or dependent child, $300 per week in federal unemployment benefits through March 14, 2021, $325 billion in loans and grants to small businesses, $81.9 billion in Education Department grants, $25 billion in rental assistance, and $13 billion in agricultural assistance.
The House passed this part of H.R. 133 on December 21, 2020 by a vote of 359 to 53 (Roll Call 251). We have assigned pluses to the nays because Congress is failing to address its fiscally and constitutionally irresponsible budgeting and appropriating process that yielded an annual federal deficit of $3.1 trillion in fiscal 2020. Congress is minimizing its accountability to voters by combining all “discretionary” federal spending and coronavirus aid into one gigantic bill and only holding two votes on that bill in the House. Moreover, most of the coronavirus aid provisions, including direct checks, federal unemployment benefits, and subsidization of the economy, exceed the federal government’s authority.
