On December 7, 2017, the House of Representatives passed a 14-day appropriations bill at 4:47 PM ET on a roll call vote and 35 minutes later the Senate passed the same bill. President Trump signed the bill into law on December 8, 2017.
The new law allows the federal government to continue spending until December 22, and it increases the debt ceiling as described in Congress' previous continuing appropriations act signed into law on September 8.
What you didn't know is the act just passed included a special rule for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for the first quarter of 2018. You also probably didn't know that the appropriations passed in September included the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development Act.
Add-on legislation to spending bills is nothing new from our dysfunctional Congress, in fact they are commonplace with names such as "earmarks" or "pork." The sad fact is Congress knows some of us are watching and still continuing to behave like it's their money.
So how badly will Congress abuse us on December 22? They are banking on you to be to busy Christmas shopping, traveling, and thinking about a long weekend for you to notice what they are doing.
So as we close out 2017 nothing has changed in Washington, D.C. A Convention of States is needed now more than ever. Please join our movement here.
