The massive spending bill in Congress just got even bigger.
As the House on Thursday approved a rule that allows the $1 trillion spending package to move forward, the bill actually increased in size by 171 pages, according to a Capitol Hill source.
With the adoption of the rule in the House, the source said, the spending package went from a total 1,603 pages to 1,774 pages. That’s because the rule amended the legislation to add some material on pensions, the source said.
Speaker of the House John Boehner is hoping the bill, which is being opposed by certain conservatives and liberals, will pass Thursday with bipartisan support. It will then head to Senate, where leaders hope legislation will pass before Thursday’s midnight deadline to keep the government from shutting down.
Among complaints from some conservatives: the massive bill, which was only released late Tuesday, includes numerous riders that amount to handouts for special interests. Others are protesting how the bill doesn’t defund President Obama’s executive action on immigration.
Liberals, led by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, are protesting how the bill repeals certain Wall Street restrictions inside the Dodd-Frank financial regulatory overhaul.
President Obama, according to the White House, supports the passage of the bill, in order to keep the government from shutting down.