Dec. 11, 2014 – 03:45AM   |

By JOHN T. BENNETT   |

WASHINGTON — The US House on Thursday narrowly approved a $1 trillion government-wide spending bill, but only after shouting on the floor, the changing of votes and arm-twisting behind closed doors.

The massive spending bill was only unveiled Tuesday evening by congressional leaders, including several controversial provisions that nearly wrecked it. The measure, which now moves to the Senate, includes $554 billion for the Pentagon.

The final vote was 219-206.

The House also passed a two-day continuing resolution that should pass the Senate by vote Thursday night. That will keep the government open while the Senate works through its procedures on the bill.

Though sequestration is slated to kick in early next year, the so-called “cromnibus” spending measure, so named because it features an 11-department omnibus appropriations bill and one continuing resolution, calls for growth in the base Pentagon budget.

For the Defense Department, the legislation would provide $554.1 billion for fiscal 2015, just smaller than the $554.3 billion the Obama administration requested.

But the bill’s $490.1 billion base 2015 Pentagon appropriations bill, if enacted this week, would be $3.3 billion larger than the amount allocated for fiscal 2014.

The measure would give the White House most of the funds it requested, including $3.4 billion of the $5.6 billion it recently asked to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. It proposes $64 billion for the Pentagon’s overseas contingency operations (OCO) account; with the war in Afghanistan winding down, that level would be about $21 billion less than the 2014 enacted level.

The measure passed after a morning vote on its floor rule squeaked by, 214-212. Leaders were seen lobbying members to change their votes. As soon as the Republican-crafted rule had a majority, the presiding officer gaveled closed the vote.

House GOP leaders later sent the chamber in recess, delaying a scheduled final vote on the massive spending bill.

It is unclear if the measure will come up in the Senate before a Thursday midnight deadline.

It could slip to Friday or into the weekend if one or more senators force a number of procedural hurdles that would force a weekend vote.