The head of the conservative House Freedom Caucus is aggressively fighting back after leaders in both parties appear to have cobbled together an eleventh hour agreement to avert a government shutdown.
From Capitol Hill, Virginia Republican Bob Good warned that his caucus' 46 members wouldn't hesitate to initiate a shutdown in order to secure GOP demands on spending mandates and policy changes. (RELATED: Freedom Caucus Chair Expelled From Pro-Trump Event, Video Goes Viral)
Good is putting pressure on Speaker Mike Johnson to demand that Democrats accept many conservative policy riders when it comes to government spending bills in 2024. Additionally, the Freedom Caucus is asking Johnson to support a continuing resolution (CR) that would fund government operations at 2023 levels until Oct. 1.
In his article for The Hill, Mike Lillis explains:
The latter strategy would trigger an automatic, 1 percent cut to federal programs of all types beginning on May 1 — a stipulation of last summer's bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) designed to encourage lawmakers to reach an agreement on 2024 spending or face reductions to popular programs.
Good said that 1 percent cut is far preferable to the deal Johnson endorsed with the leaders of both parties and both chambers, which adopts higher spending caps established by those same leaders in January. He's also calling for a series of policy changes, including tougher border security measures and a scaling back of the government's spying powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
“I would do a CR through Sept. 30 that triggers the FRA caps that would cut about $100 billion from the deal,” Good told reporters on Wednesday from Capitol Hill.
“I'd attach border security to it. I would attach [the] Israel pay-for. And I'd attach FISA … reforms. That's what I'd like to see happen. And we ought to be willing to have a shutdown fight to force it to happen.”
Other conservative lawmakers have voiced their displeasure with the last-minute agreement.
GOP Reps. Troy Nehls (Texas), Bryon Donalds (Fla.) and Tim Burchett (Tenn.) have already said they will not vote for the bill.
On Thursday, Speaker Johnson stated that House Republicans are actively considering options to provide foreign aid, after being browbeaten by President Biden and congressional leaders to assist Ukraine. (RELATED: Ukrainian President Signals Huge Shift In War)
“The House is actively considering options on a path forward, but our first responsibility is to fund the government,” Johnson said in reference to foreign aid ahead of Friday's looming deadline.
When pressed on Ukraine, Johnson reiterated that “the House is looking at all available options right now and we'll address that as soon as the government is funded.”
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