Florida Delegation Goes for 'CRomnibus' 14-13

The U.S. House voted to pass the $1.1. trillion omnibus federal spending bill on Thursday by a narrow margin, 219-206, with the Florida delegation breaking along unusual lines.

While 162 Republicans backed the measure, 67 of them voted against it. Democrats mostly stood against it with 139 opposing it while 57 supported the measure. President Barack Obama and U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, supported the bill but some liberals balked due to concerns that the measure undermined the Dodd-Frank financial regulations, while some conservatives objected due to the bill doing little to defund Obamas executive action giving 5 million illegals extended visas and a path to citizenship.

The bill funds the federal government until Sept. 30, 2015, with the exception of the Department of Homeland Security which is funded until Feb. 27, giving conservatives another chance to hit Obamas immigration action with a Republican-controlled U.S. Senate.

The Florida delegation broke on very unusual lines: 14-13. Florida Republicans U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Ander Crenshaw, Mario Diaz-Balart, David Jolly, John Mica, Rich Nugent, Tom Rooney, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Dennis Ross, Steve Southerland and Ted Yoho backed the measure. They were joined by Florida Democrats Patrick Murphy and Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The Democratic leadership was divided on the measure with U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., opposing it but Wasserman Schultz joining U.S. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., in supporting it.

Standing against the measure were Florida Republicans U.S. Reps. Curt Clawson, Ron DeSantis, Jeff Miller, Bill Posey and Dan Webster as did Florida Democrats U.S. Reps. Corrine Brown, Kathy Castor, Ted Deutch, Lois Frankel, Joe Garcia, Alan Grayson, Alcee Hastings and Frederica Wilson.

The measure now heads to the Senate for a final vote.