House passes $1.7 trillion social spending bill

(Washington, DC) -- A sweeping social spending bill is headed to the Senate after passage by the House.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the final vote tally of 220-213 Friday morning. The roughly two-trillion-dollar measure expands the social safety net while combating climate change. It's one of President Biden's top legislative priorities and faces an uncertain fate in the tightly-divided Senate.

“The Democrats’ tax-and-spend bill would take our nation in the wrong direction," said North Dakota Senator John Hoeven after the vote was finalized. "Americans are already facing increased costs due to record high inflation, and this plan for more taxes and more spending would only drive inflation higher. Inflation is a tax on every individual and family, and it hits those at lower incomes the hardest. While the House has approved this partisan legislation, we’ll continue working to defeat it in the Senate.”

Democrats loudly cheered on the House floor once the vote count surpassed the number needed for passage. The House vote came after a more than eight-hour filibuster by House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy.