Prairie State Wire

U.S. Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ottawa) and Rodney Davis (R-Urbana) both voted for an omnibus spending bill put together by Democratic lawmakers.

They were two of the nine Republicans who voted to pass the bill. Neither were present for the vote and had other members vote on their behalf. 

“135 Democrats (62%) and 91 Republicans (43%) couldn't be bothered to show up for the House omnibus vote, instead filing proxy letters saying: ‘I am unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency,’” Phil Kerpen said on Twitter.

The move across the aisle for Kinzinger and Davis came as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) called the spending bill a “monstrosity and one of the most shameful acts I have seen in this body.” 

The $1.7 trillion funding package incudes $40 billion to aid the Ukraine war effort as well as $800 billion in domestic spending. The Hill reports the domestic spending was a tradeoff by Republicans for more military spending.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi trumpeted the bill as “truly a package for the people.”

The other members of the House GOP who voted for the effort include many who are now no longer in the body – such is the case for both Kinzinger and Davis – Reps. Liz Cheney (R-WY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jamie Herrara (R-CA), Chris Jacobs (R-NY), John Katko (R-NY), Fred Upton (R-MI) and Steve Womack (R-AR). Of those, only two will return this session. The only Democrat to vote against the bill was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)

Kinzinger vacated his seat after his district was absorbed by other districts in the remapping. He is one of a handful of Republican anti-Trump voices in the U.S. House and was one of 10 GOP members of the U.S. House to vote for Trump’s impeachment. Kinzinger has been in office as a congressman since 2011.

Davis lost a primary battle after he was pitted against the more conservative U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (R-Urbana). 

“Proverbs 29:18 tells us that where there is no vision, the people perish," Miller said when she won the primary in June. "Joe Biden doesn’t have a vision. Joe Biden is destroying this country. No one can afford gas or groceries, and we are facing supply shortages like a third world country."