House Republicans wrote a one-sided “slapdash and reckless” bill to keep the government running after Sept. 30, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday. House passage of the GOP package, which called for an 8 percent cut in discretionary spending from current levels with an exemption for the military and veterans, was not certain since some Republican lawmakers spoke against it.
The House package would fund the government for one month — October — while lawmakers work on a longer-term agreements. Sharon Parrott, head of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities think tank, warned the cuts could be repeated if another short-term bill is needed. The GOP was “using the threat of a government shutdown to extract harmful cuts and policies rejected in the debt ceiling agreement” earlier this year, she said.
“This is not a serious proposal for avoiding government shutdown and, if passed, would never get enough votes to make it through the Senate,” said Schumer as the Senate convened. “The House Freedom Caucus cannot be allowed to bully the rest of the House into submission, no matter how hard they might try. If both sides embrace bipartisanship, the shutdown will be avoided.”
Under the House proposal, funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food program would be pared. Farm supports would be paid and so would SNAP, another mandatory program. The package would cut the “weaponized” Department of Justice, force [the] strongest border security ever, [and] re-focus military on mission over social engineering,” said Texas. Rep. Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus, on social media. The package omits Biden administration goals such as additional funding for Ukraine and disaster relief, and a $1.4 billion increase for WIC.
Republicans control the House by a 221-212 margin so McCarthy needs the support of almost every Republican to be assured of passing legislation.
“I’ve told all of Congress you’re not going to go home. We’re going to continue to work through this,” said Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the Capitol. The Associated Press said McCarthy planned a vote on the one-month funding bill on Thursday.
Leaders of conservative factions in the House were to meet at McCarthy’s office to discuss the package on Monday night. It was written by members of two of the five factions. South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson, one of the authors of the GOP plan and a member of the House Agriculture Committee, said over the weekend, “Any bill to keep the government open should include strong policies to secure our southern border.”