Ryan works to pass $1.1 trillion spending bill that might be DOA anyway

Fresh-faced House Speaker Paul Ryan is about get a baptism-by-fire experience in government funding 101 that he's hoping doesn't include a section on shutdowns. Congress needs to pass its $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill by December 11. To that end, Ryan has met with some of the most disruptive GOP caucus members, pushed through House steering committee reforms to placate them, and brought them into the negotiation process earlier than his predecessor John Boehner did. Scott Wong reports:

The listening sessions, held by Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) and the panel’s subcommittee chiefs, have been well received, lawmakers said.

“Prevailing feedback is that it was helpful to all,” a GOP aide said.

Ryan's goal is not only to pass a spending bill, but to pass it without the help of Democrats—lest he become the target of the venomous attacks that Boehner did. But one thing Ryan seems to be forgetting is, regardless of how much GOP support they muster, there's still a Democratic president on the other side of this bill. 

The House GOP leadership team is presently promising to consider riders in the omnibus bill that are certain to be "poison pill" amendments if they are attached—including measures regarding Planned Parenthood and national security, among others. The one that appears to have the most steam behind it is a measure that would block President Obama's resettlement plan for 10,000 Syrian refugees.

GOP leaders and appropriators are considering tucking the House-passed bill tightening screening for Syrian and Iraqi refugees into the must-pass omnibus spending measure, Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) told The Hill.

The refugee bill cleared the House just before the Thanksgiving break on a big 289-137 vote, with support from 47 Democrats and all but two Republicans. Senate Democrats, however, have vowed to filibuster the bill in the upper chamber, leaving McCaul and other backers focusing on the massive omnibus as another option to get it to President Obama’s desk.

Just to be clear: Ryan's big push toward GOP unity might include passing a bill that's Dead On Arrival because, once again, it's the only way for House Republicans to attempt to jam through agenda items that can't otherwise clear both chambers.

Yeah, pretty much Boehner redux.