Rep. Nancy Mace Calls Out Some of the Orwellian Wordplay in the 'CRomnibus'

By now you've read all about the 1,500-page continuing resolution that's meant to keep the government open through March when they pass the real budget. Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson posted on X earlier: "Republicans CANNOT allow millions of Americans devastated by the historic hurricane season, or our struggling farmers, go without the help they desperately need." OK, then, put those in separate bills and pass them. And then come back with a clean continuing resolution.

We've already told you about some of the bill's low points, like extending funding for censorship of conservative outlets and protections against investigations of members of the House, including members of the January 6 select committee. Here's Rep. Nancy Mace with her breakdown of the bill. Remember, this is supposed to be a spending bill, but as Mace notes, it makes several Orwellian changes to simple definitions.

🚨 As promised, here’s our breakdown of the massive CR. It funds censorship, includes enormous subsidies for industries who don’t need them, and includes a bunch of woke nonsense – a thread 🧵

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

This CR is 1,547 pages long and covers a period of 84 days. The last CR on September 26th was 21 pages and lasted 85 days.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

The first 14 pages of this CR are the table of contents. The next 9 pages is the actual CR, after that, the remaining 1,524 pages are unrelated to keeping the government open.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

The difference between a CR and an omnibus: A CR is supposed to be “Continuing” spending at previously appropriated levels (which were already too high). An omnibus is a combination of the appropriation bills to appropriate funding at new levels for the duration of the fiscal…

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

A good way to think of this CR is that it truly is a “CRomnibus” - because there is a 9 page CR and then there is new spending and hundreds of pages of other unrelated provisions.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

The CR references the “Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.” This CR is not balancing the budget, it’s waiving requirements in the Act as a way for Congress to avoid sequestration due to our historic deficit.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

Division B (Disaster Relief), page 23. There is $100 billion in hurricane disaster relief, which is much-needed, but is not needed to keep the government open and should be a stand alone bill.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

Exactly. Make hurricane relief its own bill and pass that.

Title I Division B, page 25: $3 million dollars for molasses inspections.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

Section 21306, page 101: Skirts Statutory PAYGO so the government doesn’t have to pay for programs by offsetting spending elsewhere.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

Section 21306, Page 102: Declares our Statutory PAYGO scorecard is zero. Congress does this because if Statutory PAYGO is above zero it triggers sequestration. It’s as if Congress is declaring we have not added a dime to the deficit from direct spending the last 2 years.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

Keep in mind we're only on page 102.

Section 205, Page 133: Allow gasoline with up to 15% ethanol to be sold year round. This subsidy for corn farmers is unrelated to keeping the government open.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

Section 301, page 139: Funds censorship by extending the Global Engagement Center.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

That's the agency that's trying to censor and bankrupt conservative outlets like The Federalist and The Daily Wire.

Section 1002, page 938: Exempts Members of Congress from having to enroll in Obamacare.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

Section 1202, Page 328: Defines “music tourism.” Not sure what “music tourism” has to do with keeping the government open.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

Here’s some woke nonsense in the CR. 👇👇👇

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

Section 102, Page 947: Redefines “homeless individuals” to “individuals experiencing homelessness.”

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

We thought they were now "the unhoused."

Section 102, Page 947: Redefines “homeless children” to “children experiencing homelessness.”

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

Section 111, Page 958: Redefines “out of school youth” to “opportunity youth.”

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

Section 111, Page 958: Redefines “low-skilled adults” to “adults with foundational skill needs.”

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

Section Page 1398: Redefines “for criminal offenders in criminal institutions and for institutionalized individuals” to “justice involved individuals in correctional institutions and for other institutionalized individuals.”

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

"Justice involved individuals."

What does this have to do with keeping the government open?

Section 208, Page 1400: Redefines “criminal offender” to “justice-involved individual.”

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

There are 553 pages related to healthcare policy and has nothing to do with keeping the government open. These should be standalone bills.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

We should not pass over a thousand pages of substantive policy changes in the lame duck, 33 days before President Trump takes the oath of office.

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

It’s time to go back to following the law in the 1974 Budget and Control Act that requires Congress to pass a budget and fund it via 12 appropriations bills. LFG. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) December 18, 2024

But Speaker Mike Johnson is all over the news saying we should just hold our noses and pass the bill, and then pass the "real" budget when the new Congress is seated and Trump is inaugurated.

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