McCarthy frustrated as GOP holdouts jeopardize progress before government shutdown.
House Speaker McCarthy Optimistic About Avoiding Government Shutdown
With just six days until federal funding is set to lapse, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is expressing cautious optimism that he can wrangle enough members of his party to begin advancing appropriations bills and a temporary stopgap measure to avert a government shutdown this weekend.
However, the Republican leader is acknowledging it won’t be without challenges.
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The House is scheduled to take its first procedural votes to advance their individual spending bills later this week, a typically routine process that has been repeatedly upended by hard-line conservatives seeking to take control of the appropriations process. However, McCarthy has conveyed confidence he can muster enough support to sway those holdouts, whom the speaker has expressed frustration toward for obstructing progress.
“We’ve had these posted since July, but we had some members … that would shut the floor down and we couldn’t do anything,” McCarthy said. “Apparently they’re willing to work now.”
Lawmakers are set to reconvene on Tuesday evening to vote on advancing a combined rule that contains four appropriations bills, teeing them up for votes as soon as this week. Those four bills include spending for the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and State and Foreign Operations appropriations.
After that, McCarthy said he hopes to bring some sort of continuing resolution or temporary spending measure to the floor sometime this week ahead of the shutdown deadline — a move several hard-line conservatives have vowed to oppose. McCarthy criticized those members Monday morning, noting objections to keeping the government open would only result in critical agencies losing funding.
“If people want to close the government, it only makes it weaker. Why would they want to stop paying the troops or stop paying the border agents or the Coast Guard? I don’t understand how that makes you stronger. I don’t have to stand what point you’re trying to make,” McCarthy said. “I couldn’t understand why somebody would want to do that.”
It’s not yet clear whether there is substantial support among House Republicans to advance appropriations bills this week, especially after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) announced she was a “hard no” against the rules vote scheduled for Tuesday. McCarthy can only afford to lose four GOP votes, giving him little room for error.
Congress has until Sept. 30 to pass the budget for the next fiscal year, after which the government will run out of money and shut down until a deal is made. By then, lawmakers must advance 12 individual appropriations bills in each chamber before sending their final product to the president’s desk for approval, setting the stage for an arduous process as House Republicans and Senate Democrats disagree on overall spending numbers.
It’s unlikely the House or Senate will be able to advance all 12 appropriations bills and negotiate a compromise before the shutdown deadline, prompting some lawmakers to consider a continuing resolution that would keep the government funded at the same levels until a final agreement is reached.
However, that idea has been shot down by at least a dozen conservatives in the House, meaning McCarthy will either need to stretch his hand across the aisle to work with Democrats on a stopgap measure — possibly putting his speakership at risk — or wait for the Senate to advance its own agreement. Even if the House can manage to pass a continuing resolution, it’s not yet clear whether the lower chamber can advance the legislation in time to avoid a partial shutdown.
“I’m a believer in everything,” McCarthy said. “I never give up.”
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What challenges does the House face in passing appropriations bills, and why?
?” McCarthy asked.
McCarthy’s optimism comes amid ongoing disputes over the size and scope of a bipartisan infrastructure package and the fate of voting rights legislation, both of which are key priorities for President Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers. The House also faces challenges in passing appropriations bills, as the Senate has yet to pass any of the 12 annual spending bills.
Despite these challenges, McCarthy expressed hope that bipartisan cooperation and negotiations could lead to a resolution and prevent a government shutdown.
“I think that we all have a responsibility to try to get this government funded,” McCarthy said. “I’m hopeful that we will have enough bipartisan support, and I understand that people have objections and they have concerns, but I believe there’s a way we can work through this and get it done.”
In order to avoid a government shutdown, Congress must pass a spending bill or a continuing resolution before the September 30 deadline. If they fail to do so, many federal agencies would be forced to furlough employees and suspend operations until funding is restored.
While McCarthy remains optimistic, the road to reaching an agreement is not without obstacles. The House is divided along party lines, and many Republicans have expressed opposition to raising the debt ceiling, further complicating negotiations.
Time is of the essence as the deadline looms, but McCarthy is hopeful that a solution can be reached to keep the government operating.
“We have the ability to keep government open,” McCarthy said. “I hope that people will put politics aside and do what is right for the country.”
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With the clock ticking and tensions high, House Speaker McCarthy remains cautiously optimistic that a government shutdown can be avoided. While challenges and obstacles exist, McCarthy believes in the power of bipartisan cooperation to reach a resolution. As the deadline approaches, the nation waits to see if Congress can overcome their differences and ensure the continued operation of the federal government.
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