Averting a federal government shutdown days before Christmas, Congress approved a massive spending package late this week that should keep the federal government running through September 2023.
The legislation cleared the Senate Thursday afternoon on a vote of 68-29 and the House on Friday afternoon on a vote of 225-201. It next goes to President Joe Biden for his signature.
For Vermont’s retiring senior senator, Democrat Patrick Leahy, the $1.7 trillion spending package was the last he negotiated as chair of the influential Senate Appropriations Committee. His vote in favor of it Thursday was also likely the last of 17,374 cast during his nearly five-decade career in the chamber.
As the top-ranking Democrat on the appropriations panel since 2017, Leahy has directed billions of federal dollars to Vermont through the small-state minimum, historic emergency aid packages and the return of congressionally directed spending, better known as earmarks.
The latest spending package is no exception. In it are more than $212 million worth of earmarks Leahy secured for Vermont.
“I am proud that I have been able to give Vermont a center seat at the table as this bill was written and fund programs that will make a real difference in the lives of Vermonters,” Leahy said in a written statement following the Senate’s vote on Thursday. “Whether it is supporting the revitalization of our historic downtowns, or providing the resources to grow born-in-Vermont ideas into national programs, these bills make worthwhile investments across Vermont.”
Vermont’s two other congressional delegates — U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt. — sought their own earmarks for the state, as well. Sanders secured $42 million in earmarks and Welch $11.6 million. Both voted for the spending package this week.
“Too many Vermonters, and people across the country, have lost hope that government can work for them in real ways,” Sanders said in a written statement Thursday afternoon. “Too many have lost hope that government is listening to what they need and taking real action on their behalf. With these projects, I am glad to say, Vermonters will soon see real, positive benefits in their daily lives and in their communities.”
In a Thursday evening statement following the Senate vote, Welch — who is set to take over Leahy’s Senate seat in the new year — lauded the outgoing senator’s role in crafting the budget and delivering for Vermont.
“This government funding bill, the last of (Leahy’s) historic Senate tenure, reflects Patrick’s ongoing commitment to Vermont’s values — including more than $200 million in grants for community projects across Vermont, from funding for mental health care in Bennington to support for workforce development in Colchester,” Welch said.
Among the Vermont projects Leahy included in the package are $34 million to renovate and expand Burlington International Airport, $35 million per year for five years for the Lake Champlain Basin Program, tens of millions for Vermont institutions of higher education, $9 million for the Vermont Department of Public Safety, and tens of millions more in grants supporting economic development, agriculture, mental health care and more.
Noteworthy requests of Sanders included a $4.2 million health care access expansion in Brattleboro, $2.5 million to the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and $1.4 million for the rehabilitation and expansion of the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail.
The spending bill marks Democrats’ final major piece of legislation before Republicans take over the House with a razor-thin majority in January.