Omnibus Bill

by Rick Larsen

In recent years, it's been easy to forget what negotiation actually looks like in Washington, DC. We've become accustomed to an all or nothing mentality.

With yesterday's vote on the Omnibus we returned to legislative negotiation as our framers envisioned, where both parties get some things and lose some things.

Democratic leadership's hold out on the Omnibus resulted in unprecedented extensions of renewable energy tax credits for wind and solar, the Land and Water Conservation Fund is now back in action with a nearly 50% increase in funding, and we invested in Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery to help restore salmon habitats.

These negotiations also protected us against harmful restrictions that would have defunded Planned Parenthood. They stopped efforts that would have prevented Obama from moving forward with his plans for Syrian refugees in the country. And they blocked Republican efforts to allow unlimited financial coordination between candidates and political parties.

Rick