EXPLAINED: Why is the 4,100 page-long US Omnibus Spending Bill causing controversy

US Congress is trying to pass a $1.7 trillion year-end omnibus spending bill, before Friday, when the federal government's funding is set to run out. The bill was unveiled on Tuesday and it is causing a lot of controversies. For starters, the bill is more than 4,100 pages long. Many lawmakers are wondering how they are supposed to vote for the bill without reading it.

Senator Mike Lee from Utah said, "This monstrous spending bill comes to 4,155 pages. We deserve proper consideration and the chance to read, debate, and amend - not a backroom deal. Opposing this isn’t radical: running our government like this is what’s radical". He added that the Bible is 1,200 pages long and asked if anyone could read the Bible 3 times before this Friday. 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk asked people on Twitter if the US Congress should pass a $1.7 trillion spending bill. 73.6 percent of people voted no. Musk said that he was in favour of a small spending bill that "keeps things running". He added that common sense suggests that "it be the least amount required through the holidays" and went on to say that railroading a "giant spending bill that almost no one has read" is not in people's interest. 

What is an omnibus spending bill?

An omnibus spending bill is a type of appropriations bill in the United States Congress that combines several smaller spending bills into one larger piece of legislation. Omnibus spending bills are typically used when Congress has not been able to pass all of the individual appropriations bills that are needed to fund the government for the upcoming fiscal year. Omnibus spending bills are typically used as a way to fund the government in the event that Congress is unable to pass all of the individual appropriations bills by the start of the fiscal year. 

They can be used to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, or for a shorter period of time, depending on the circumstances. Omnibus spending bills are often controversial because they combine several spending bills into one large package, which can make it difficult for legislators to review and consider each individual spending measure. In addition, omnibus spending bills can sometimes be used as a way to include provisions that may not have the support to pass on their own, which can lead to criticism and controversy.

Why is the omnibus spending bill causing controversy?

The $1.7 trillion omnibus bill is proving to be controversial for multiple reasons, the first one of which is the amount of $1.7 trillion. The second source of controversy is where the money is being spent. According to US Congressman Dan Bishop, the bill prohibits the use of money for improving border security. The southern border of the US is currently witnessing a significant amount of human migration into US soil.

"It expressly prohibits CBP funding from being used to improve border security but at the same time, allocates $410 million towards border security for Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman," writes the Congressman. "Funds for borders of other countries, but not ours? Is that for real?" Musk tweeted, after reading about the spending bill. 

Other sources of controversy are the fact that the bill apparently has money carved out to fund a federal building for Nancy Pelosi, $575 million for "family planning", and $65 million for protecting Salmons. $3.6 million has also been apparently set aside for building a Michelle Obama trail. Significantly for Ukraine, the bill includes $45 billion aid to Ukraine. The US military will also be receiving significant funding under this bill.

According to a report from Politico, the US military will get around $858 billion in this fiscal year. Senator Rand Paul, mocked the spending bill, by printing it out and keeping it on a table, whilst addressing the media. “These people, I would not put [them] in charge of a Minute Mart and three gas stations, much less a $6 trillion economy,” he said.