Conservatives fear McCarthy may compromise on spending with Democrats.
House Speaker McCarthy Courting Centrist Democrats for Support, Republicans Express Concern
Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) suggested that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) may be seeking the support of centrist Democratic representatives for a continuing resolution or appropriations bills, rather than working with Republican members of the House Freedom Caucus.
“I think that Speaker McCarthy has established that he is willing to buy Democrat votes instead of earning Republican votes already this year,” he told the Washington Examiner. “And because we are not hearing conversations about what we were going to do to address those core questions, then that would lead us to believe that he’s negotiating with someone.”
Republicans Hopeful for Resolution with Party Support
Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA) expressed concern over the possibility of McCarthy negotiating with House Democrats for their votes. However, he remains hopeful that disagreements can be worked out and the bills can be moved forward with Republican support.
McCarthy’s Approach to Appropriations
McCarthy’s focus is on passing as many appropriations bills as possible through regular order, believing it puts Republicans in the best position to achieve spending and policy goals. However, he is considering a continuing resolution to prevent omnibus legislation led by Senate Democrats.
McCarthy’s office did not provide comment to the Washington Examiner.
Uncertainty and Frustration Among Republicans
Rosendale expressed uncertainty about the conversations with Republican House leadership regarding appropriations. He emphasized the need to address the appropriation bills, their cost, and the policies they contain. He noted that the House Republican Conference has been ready to participate for the past six weeks, but it requires the speaker to prioritize the matter.
Cline shared his frustration with the lack of discussion and the absence of a unified conference. He mentioned that conversations with leadership were sporadic during the recess and were insufficient to negotiate through all the appropriations measures.
“My phone has been readily working, and I have not heard anything about what are we going to do to address the core questions before us, which are the appropriation bills, the cost of them, and the policies that are supposed to be contained within them,” Rosendale claimed.
Rosendale questioned the priority of the schedule, suggesting that suspension bills may be taking precedence over the core issues at hand.
Conservative Members’ Concerns and Promises Made
Members of the House Freedom Caucus, including Rosendale, have expressed their desire to return to pre-COVID-19 spending levels and have certain policy preferences included in appropriations. These preferences include securing the southern border and refusing federal funds for prosecutors who have indicted former President Donald Trump.
Rosendale highlighted McCarthy’s promises to rein in spending and restore regular order to Congress during his bid for speakership.
Rosendale made it clear that he does not support a continuing resolution and likened it to the leadership under Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), another House Freedom Caucus member, warned of dire consequences if the public’s voices are ignored by “big-government establishment elites.” He denounced the idea of a continuing resolution, emphasizing the need to correct course immediately.
Click here to read more from the Washington Examiner.
Spending bills must be passed by the House and Senate and signed by President Joe Biden before October 1 to avoid a government shutdown.
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