Ultra-conservatives decry inclusion of 'evil earmarks' allotting millions for LGBTQ centers, EV infrastructure and more in must-pass $460B deal negotiated by Speaker Johnson to avoid next government shutdown in just 5 DAYS

Congress' ultra-conservative faction is sounding off about a new spending deal announced on Sunday that would likely lump funding for 12 agencies of government into two up-or-down votes. 

The 1,000+ page spending plan for the first six agencies of government, which have a funding deadline of Friday, was released Sunday and members of the House's Freedom Caucus and like-minded senators decried 'earmarks' in the bill. 

After being negotiated by House and Senate leaders in both parties, it will be voted on in the House on Wednesday.  

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas,  wrote on X that the bill 'is littered with earmarks, fails to secure the border, & punts almost every GOP policy win - thus, will fund most of Biden’s lawlessness & tyranny.'

Rep. Ralph Norman ticked off a number of earmarks requested by Democrats that had been included in the deal 

'Earmarks corrupt government. Earmarks turn Republicans Democrat. No Republican should support them. No Republican should vote for this bill,' said Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. 

Speaker Johnson said Republicans 'secured key conservative policy victories' in the $460 billion-plus measure despite a 'divided government' and rejected 'left-wing proposals' in the deal with Democrats announced Sunday. 

The package would Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA and Transportation and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under one vote. 

Conservatives have been insisting that Congress pass funding for each agency of government individually but that looked untenable under deeply divided government.

Rep. Chip Roy , R-Texas, wrote on X that the bill 'is littered with earmarks, fails to secure the border, & punts almost every GOP policy win - thus, will fund most of Biden’s lawlessness & tyranny'

The spending package did not include the new border security restrictions that conservatives had wanted. 

'No. No. WTH [Speaker Mike Johnson] what’s wrong with you….' read one post on X that was reposted by Roy. 

Rep. Ralph Norman listed off 'the worst-of-the-worst earmarks in Schumer’s +1,000 page spending rampage.'

'EARMARKS ARE EVIL,' he wrote on X. 

The South Carolina Republican noted that the bill includes $1.65 million for an artist 'living and work space' in New York, in Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman's district, $1.1 million for an 'electric vehicle infrastructure masterplan' in Chicago requested by top Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, $1 million for a 'city-wide climate assessment' in Providence, R.I., and $1 million for an LGBTQ community center in Philadelphia. 

'It's just like the swamp to take YOUR money, borrow more, and push it all into reckless political pet projects. That’s earmarks in a nutshell,' said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., on X. 

'Just look at [Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's] request for $1M to build a new environmental justice center in NYC. Give me a break.'

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Va., decried a number of policies that were 'surrendered,' or not included in the bill including defunding the Trump prosecution, blocking funds from being used to provide legal representation to illegal aliens and defunding President Biden's executive orders to expand gun restrictions.

Republicans touted  'deep cuts' to the EPA (10%), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) (7%) and FBI (6%), which Johnson says has 'threatened our freedoms and our economy.' 

Other policy provisions in the bill would provide additional funding to the FAA to supervise the production of Boeing 737 Max aircrafts - after several alarming safety incidents in recent months - while another would prohibit U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve sales to China.

Amtrak, the long beleaguered American railway operator, would also get an additional $2.4 billion in funding. 

Democrats proclaimed that the bill maintained full funding of a special food assistance program for women, infants and children (WIC) and included wins on rent assistance and pay for infrastructure employees like air traffic controllers. 

Democrats also touted the bill rejecting 'poison pills' like prohibiting the promotion of critical race theory and gender-affirming care at the Department of Veterans' Affairs. 

But other GOP-led provisions include banning veterans from being flagged by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check without consent from a judge.

In addition, it cuts the 'endangered species listing activities' at U.S. Fish and Wildlife and strengthens 'tracking and review of foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land.'

The new funding details come after Congress passed a fourth short-term funding bill late last week, just one day before a government funding deadline. 

Another funding deadline looms on March 22 for the remaining government agencies, but Congress is expected to lump together those bills in one to two mini-bus votes.