U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT article
on possible government shutdown with this headline:
“House GOP Makes Unlikely Bid to Fund Government as Shutdown Looms”
The shutdown clock is ticking after progress was largely
stymied in both chambers amid conservative opposition. And with less than
two weeks to fund the government, finding a path forward will be critical in
the days ahead.
So, Mr. Speaker: Who is to blame? GOP, eh – oops…
In what appeared at first to be a potential step forward over the weekend, House Republicans reached a tentative deal on a stopgap measure – known as a continuing resolution (CR) – to keep the government funded through October, buying time for a larger appropriations agreement to be reached.
The deal, brokered by House Freedom Caucus and Main Street Caucus Republicans, would cut spending on domestic agencies by some 8%, sparing DOD and the VA, while implementing border policies backed by House Republicans earlier this year.
Not long after the deal was announced, a number of conservatives
pledged their opposition to the legislation and reiterated objections to any
stopgap measure.
Rep. Matt Rosendale
(R-MT) a Freedom Caucus member called any CR:
“A continuation of Nancy Pelosi’s budget and Joe Biden’s policies.”
The continuing resolution also would likely fail easily in the Democrat-controlled Senate, given its spending cuts and border policies.
But much like in the debt ceiling fight earlier this year, getting
Republican-backed legislation through the lower chamber would at least get
things moving, bringing the House to the negotiating table and giving them a
chance to try to extract concessions from Democrats.
However, for House hardcore conservatives, burned by the
debt ceiling deal ultimately struck by Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the White
House, that strategy may no longer be seen as viable.
In view of some who hail
from safer districts, shutting down the government would not be so bad. In
an interview that aired over the weekend, Trump expressed his support for shutting down the government saying: “Shut it down if
they can’t make an appropriate deal.”
Despite the opposition to any
CR, House leaders are expected to try to move forward with the legislation
later in the week. But with such a narrow majority – made slimmer by expected
absences – there is nearly no margin for error.
The disagreement over the deal comes after House leaders had
to delay a pre-scheduled procedural vote on defense spending legislation last
week amid opposition from members of the conference’s right flank over unmet
demands. McCarthy said House leaders will bring the defense bill to the floor
this week “win or lose.”
On the Senate side, which
has seen bipartisan success in the appropriations process,
things aren’t without roadblocks, either.
The smooth sailing that
the upper chamber had relished came to a halt toward the end of last week when
Senate conservatives effectively blocked a small package of spending bills –
known as a minibus – from moving forward, sparking frustration on both sides of
the aisle and spurring questions about how to proceed.
Senate leadership is expected to work to get the minibus back on track this week, along with considering the possibilities for a stopgap measure as the spending situation grows dire with each passing day.
Adding to
the pressure are visits from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the
White House and Capitol this week, which comes amid a dispute over whether to
approve more funding to support Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
The White House asked Congress for roughly $40 billion in funding for Ukraine, domestic disaster relief, and border security.
While Senate Republicans
are generally on board with additional funds for Ukraine, the issue is a
nonstarter for many Republicans in the House and adds to the list of hurdles
lawmakers face in the race to fund the government before month’s end.
Also a potential motion to vacate, that is a vote to get rid of McCarthy, also looms.
Threats regarding his ouster as Speaker among
conservatives in his conference came to a head in recent days, despite his decision to
unilaterally direct an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden,
which conservatives have clamored about for months.
McCarthy told Fox News on
Sunday (September 17) that a motion to vacate would be
“Exactly what the president wants because the ensuing process would temporarily
shut down the House. These are individuals, they have a right to do what they
want, but I am only going to focus on the American public. I showed in January
I will never give up.”
Related article from VANITY FAIR – this snippet from their article here:
Under a proposed stopgap,
which McCarthy wants wants to vote on this week, the government would remain
open through the end of October — but with significant cuts to non-defense
spending.
It would also include a hardline border bill favored by the
far-right. In other words, it’s got basically no chance with the Democrats, who
have been calling for weeks on McCarthy to pursue a bipartisan path.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT),
the ranking DEM on the House Appropriations Committee, said in a statement: “It is time to end the
charade and get to work. Their proposal would include cuts to cancer research,
policing, and aid to Ukraine.”
My 2 Cents: Simple and direct with all the hype and nonsense generated by this “new” Trump owned and operated GOP.
Their #1 goal is not service to the general public – it’s aimed simply at harming and trying to get rid of President Biden even by tagging him to his son’s woes – which he is not involved and they know it, too.
They are trying anyway possible and saying that it is he who is bringing down the country to the lowest level ever.
May I suggest that they repeat that over and over while peering in the nearest mirror – it’s the GOP and NOT the Democrats who are to blame for the turmoil and division across D.C., in the House, and basically across the entire country ever since Trump entered and took them under his devious control – mostly under his tons and tons of lies, deceit, turmoil, and crimes which equals his 91 charges in the four indictments and forthcoming trials, etc.
In short, this GOP is full of hypocrites that defies gravity itself and yet they continue to mirror Trump precisely as they bow to his every wish and command or so it seems.
Thanks for stopping by.
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