House Republicans demand four things to prevent government shutdown.
Members of Congress Prepare for Showdown Over Funding
As members of Congress return to Capitol Hill this month, House Republicans are gearing up to pass a stopgap funding extension to avoid a government shutdown. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has expressed his intention to pass a short-term continuing resolution, giving Congress more time to negotiate and pass bills. However, House Republicans are not simply going to accept any resolution. They are determined to secure crucial policy wins and eliminate what they see as “reckless spending.”
Struggles in Passing Appropriations Bills
The House has faced challenges in passing its 12 appropriations bills, managing to pass only one before the August recess. With just 12 working days remaining upon their return on Sept. 12, time is running out. McCarthy can afford to lose no more than four Republican votes if he hopes to pass all 12 bills before funding expires on Sept. 30. Consequently, House GOP members are making demands in four key areas to secure their support for a continuing resolution.
Demands for Lower Spending
House Republicans are divided over spending cuts, with some members of the House Freedom Caucus pushing for cuts to the fiscal 2022 level of $1.47 trillion. This is $200 billion less than what President Joe Biden and McCarthy agreed to in the debt ceiling compromise. Such a hard-line spending cut could result in reductions of up to 25% in areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, science, commerce, water, energy, and healthcare.
Additionally, House Freedom Caucus members oppose providing a “blank check” for Ukraine in any appropriations bill. The Biden administration faced backlash from conservatives after requesting $40 billion in emergency supplemental funding, including $24 billion for Ukraine. Several hard-line conservatives, such as Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), have stated their opposition to a resolution that maintains current spending levels.
On the other hand, centrist Republicans are urging their hard-line GOP peers to consider budget priorities that will be acceptable to the Democratic-controlled Senate and the White House.
Border Security Concerns
House Freedom Caucus members are also demanding that any spending measure include the Secure the Border Act, the House GOP’s border security bill. This bill aims to strengthen border security and restrict asylum for those fearing persecution or harm. Rep. Chip Roy has threatened to withhold his support for any appropriations bill unless Congress votes to tighten security at the southern border, which he considers a “national crisis.” He has also called for the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Fourteen Texas Republicans have joined Roy’s letter, warning that they will oppose any Department of Homeland Security funding bill that does not take necessary steps to secure the border.
Opposition to “Woke” Pentagon Policies
House Freedom Caucus members have pledged to oppose a resolution that does not put an end to what they perceive as “woke policies” in the Pentagon. However, they have not specified how they want these policies to be addressed. Some GOP members have proposed controversial amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, seeking to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion policies within the Department of Defense. The Senate’s passage of its own version of the NDAA has set the stage for a showdown this fall.
Concerns about the “Weaponization” of FBI and DOJ
Similar to their opposition to “woke” Pentagon policies, the House Freedom Caucus will not support a continuing resolution that does not address what they view as the “unprecedented weaponization” of the Justice Department and FBI. Republicans have criticized DOJ investigations into former President Donald Trump and instances involving FBI and IRS whistleblowers, claiming they demonstrate the politicization of the Justice Department. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has stated that she will not vote to fund the government unless the House launches an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden and votes to “defund Biden’s weaponization of government.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has indicated that a vote on launching an impeachment inquiry could take place if Republicans decide to pursue that path.
Despite these contentious issues, some Republicans are not concerned about a government shutdown and believe it may be necessary to force spending cuts.
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