Progressive New York Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez bucked her party Friday, voting "no" on the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill needed to prevent a government shutdown.
According to the Washington Examiner, Ocasio-Cortez was the only Democrat to vote against the bill and it passed the House 225-201-1. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., another member of the "Squad" of progressive lawmakers, voted "present."
Both AOC and Tlaib voted by proxy, according to the Examiner.
"I campaigned on a promise to my constituents: to oppose additional expansion and funding for ICE and DHS — particularly in the absence of long-overdue immigration reform," the Empire State congresswoman said in a statement released on Twitter.
"For that reason, as well as the dramatic increase in defense spending which exceeds even President Biden's request, I voted no on today's omnibus bill.
"The dramatic increase in DHS and ICE spending — especially in light of the lack of progress on DACA, TPS, and expanding paths to citizenship — cut against the promises our party has made to immigrant communities across the country," she added.
Despite her no vote, AOC lauded the bill's passage on Instagram and touted the provisions that will fund 15 different projects benefiting the Bronx and Queens in New York City.
"After selecting 15 projects, we brought these projects to D.C. to lobby for the support our communities deserve," she said. "Now, funding for these projects has finally passed out of the House and the Senate, and will be signed into law by President Biden!"
While many House Republicans argued the 4,155-page spending package was loaded with earmarks and pushed through without enough time to read it, nine Republicans joined Democrats in voting for it: Reps. John Katko, R-N.Y., Chris Jacobs, R-N.Y., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Fred Upton, R-Mich., Rodney Davis, R-Ill., Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., Steve Womack, R-Ark., Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., and Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.
Georgia Rep. Rick Allen said in a statement that the "out-of-control spending" will only worsen inflation.
"This bloated spending package fails to address many of the pressing issues our nation is facing and is instead chocked full of increased funding for the IRS, Green New Deal initiatives, and unrelated policy provisions," the Peach State Republican wrote.
"We must stay committed to restoring fiscal responsibility and stop increasing the financial burden on future generations."
The bill now heads to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature, having passed the Senate on Thursday. The president has pledged to sign the legislation swiftly to avoid a government shutdown and fund the federal government through September.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.