Chris Lange, FISM News
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House Republican leadership is calling on its members to vote “no” on a stopgap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown, citing Democrats’ refusal to negotiate on key GOP issues like inflation and the border crisis.
They also take issue with the continuing resolution (CR) deadline of December 16th, which Republicans say gives the Democratic House majority the opportunity to enter a lame duck session while they craft a post-midterm funding plan.
Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) sent a memo to House GOP offices Tuesday night asking members to vote against the CR, The Hill reported.
“The Majority has refused to negotiate with [House Appropriations Committee] Ranking Member [Kay] Granger [R.-Texas] or any other House Republican leader on pressing issues relating to our government funding priorities, including runaway inflation, the supply chain crisis, the border crisis, or the opioid deaths associated with drugs like fentanyl coming across our open southern border, and have instead decided to kick the can to December, setting up another government funding showdown during the unaccountable lame duck period,” Scalise wrote.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) voiced similar opposition to the CR last week, saying he would vote against the funding bill due to the expiration date and the fact that it does nothing to address the border crisis.
“President Biden is asking for a government funding bill that simply kicks the can to an unaccountable lame-duck Congress that does nothing to actually address the nation’s problems — especially the crisis at our southern border,” McCarthy said in a statement at the time.
“If Biden & Democrats don’t use this government funding bill to address the border crisis immediately, I’m voting NO on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same,” he added.
Despite opposition from Republican leadership, the continuing resolution is expected to clear both chambers of Congress today ahead of Friday’s deadline to avoid a government shutdown, particularly since a chief point of bipartisan contention surrounding Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) permitting reforms is now moot. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) slashed it from the funding package at Manchin’s request less than an hour before the first procedural vote on Tuesday.
“With cooperation from our Republican colleagues, the Senate can finish its work of keeping the government open as soon as tomorrow. There is every reason in the world to get to ‘yes,'” Schumer said Wednesday in a floor speech, Reuters reported.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also said he expects the CR to pass, though not without controversy. Some GOP Senators are unhappy with McConnell and Senate Republican leadership for agreeing to pass the bill without insisting on the inclusion of Republican priorities, accusing them of willingly ceding negotiation power over to President Biden.
“To say that the Senate caved a little bit or a little early or whatever is an understatement,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) expressed similar frustration, particularly over McConnell’s agreement to the Democrats’ proposed December deadline, though, unlike other Republicans, he said it didn’t extend far enough. Gaetz and some of his colleagues wanted the continuing resolution to run until January in anticipation of the GOP retaking the House and possibly the Senate.
“A deal that vanquished poison pills and went to January would enhance the leverage of Republicans, who are expected to win the House majority, to dictate policy terms,” the Florida Congressman said. “Instead, what McConnell and others have done is to diminish that leverage.”