Congress Passes $1.5 Trillion Spending Bill in Record Speed

On the Same Day of a 7.9% CPI Update

"Fast Running Pelican at Clontarf" by Sheba

The US House of Representatives passed a $1.5 trillion spending bill on Wednesday. I’ll state that again for those that blinked: $1.5 trillion. Then, the next day, the Senate passed it. Lighting speed. The bill is now on its way to the President’s desk for signature. This was not on my radar. I was honestly surprised at the news, but I guess I shouldn’t be. When the federal government has the power to give themselves a raise, don’t be shocked when they give themselves one hell of a raise.

Congress passed this thing faster than a baby-sitter’s boyfriend escapes the house when the parents hit the driveway. And they passed it on the same day of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) update. The CPI is now registered at a rate of 7.9% year over year. Note that for those keen on blaming price inflation on Russia or any other of the establishment’s scapegoats of the day, the CPI data lags behind by ~1 month.

So what can I say about a $1.5 trillion spending bill pushed through in the face of a currency crisis? Am I abnormal to think this is insanity? For those that think Congress is representing you, take your hand and slap yourself across the face for me.

Apparently the bill was split into two sections: a defense portion and a non-defense portion. I know, I know, “defense” is a loose term, but whatever.

The defense portion passed the House in a 361-69 vote. The non-defense portion passed in a 260-171 vote. In the Senate, the whole thing was passed by a vote of 68-31. There’s a reason they refer to bipartisan compromise as “double-penetration.”

In the House (of Horrors), the bill was passed in an hour. That’s how much time your “representatives” had to read it. Take a guess at how long the bill is.

It’s a few trees short of a forest … 2,678 pages long! The name of the bill is the “Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022,” and boy is it consolidated! Read the whole thing here if your heart so desires. See if you can do it in an hour.

I suspect much of this bill contains stuff from the Build Back Better bill that failed to gain traction. I wouldn’t put it past those sneaky sneaks. I certainly can’t read as fast as our brilliant, esteemed representatives, so I’ll be skimming through to highlight what catches my eye over the next few days.

If you find anything good, let me know. Check back to see what I find.