West Virginia’s U.S. Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito both voted in favor of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill that passed the Senate Thursday.
The bill, now awaiting U.S. House approval, is needed to keep the government operating.
Capito said on MetroNews “Talkline” Thursday, before the vote, that she favored the bill, as well as the additional financial support for Ukraine included within it.
“Number one, we have to fund the government. Number two, we have to keep the government open because that is a no-win situation when the government shuts down. We’ve seen that in the past, and you end up paying more to reopen the government,” Capito, R-W.Va., said today on MetroNews’ “Talkline.”
Congress is up against the desire of many members to return to their homes for the holiday, and there is broad concern about the winter storm barreling ahead.
Half of the spending in the bill, $858 billion, goes to defense and represents a significant increase in funding for the Department of Defense. The bill also includes more than $770 million for federal law enforcement grants for local governments and $324 million to help hire law enforcement officers across the nation.
More aspects of the spending bill are aimed at bolstering pandemic readiness, extend some Medicaid benefits, help Americans save for retirement.
“There’s a big portion of this, which is VA benefits, which is the burn pits healthcare for our veterans who have inhaled certain substances because of the method by which we destroy our chemicals and other things. It’s a real, real issue,” Capito said. “So that is a large portion of this.”
Capito acknowledged the additional debt anticipated to be racked up through federal spending. Critics of the bill, like Congressman Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, highlight how quickly the 4,155-page bill is being considered and how much it will grow the national debt.
“We need now with divided government, as we’re moving into the next year, we’re going to have a real chance to cut the spending and that’s what we’re going to need to do,” Capito said.
“I’m going to be looking for ways to do that. So I’m going to be looking for ways to do that. But for right now I think we need to fund this government. I’m going to vote for this. It’s not how I would do it and it’s not how much I would put into it, but that’s my option right now and I’m going to move forward with it.”
The spending bill provides an additional $44.9 billion in emergency military and economic assistance for Ukraine. Capito said she supports that country’s war efforts and the funding.
“I do support that,” she said, describing support for both military and humanitarian needs. “I do think it’s important for us to stand with Ukraine. I do think Europe and the EU has been doing that, and certainly NATO, and we need to be a part of that.”
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday evening to thank the United States for its support and to ask for more in the fight against invading Russia.
Capito described the address as inspirational.
“I thought it was very powerful,” she said, “and he was grateful and very pleased with his support but he also reinforced that it’s a long haul, and they’re fighting for freedom and they’re not just fighting for Ukraine; it’s a global fight.”
.@SenCapito joins @HoppyKercheval to discuss Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky's speech inside the U.S. House chamber last night, the omnibus spending bill, and the ongoing border crisis. WATCH: https://t.co/yCFQ3nEhk6 pic.twitter.com/dovQIxCnBK
— MetroNews (@WVMetroNews) December 22, 2022