Staff Reports
As the clock ticks down to prevent a government shutdown, the House Republican majority is facing resistance from its conservative members, who are threatening to derail a proposed budget deal. The agreement, which was reached between the Main Street Caucus and the Freedom Caucus, would keep the government running through September. However, it is not likely to pass as President Joe Biden and the Democrats in the Senate are against it.
If all Democrats vote against the bill, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy would lose four of his own Republican votes. Several House Republicans, including members of the Freedom Caucus and Eli Crane, have expressed their opposition to the legislation. Marjorie Taylor Greene, another member of the group, criticized the lack of funds for Ukraine and other issues on X, which used to be called Twitter.
Some members of the House, such as Ralph Norman and Andy Ogles, expressed their doubts about the bill. They also demanded answers from the House leadership. Other members of the House, such as Cory Mills, Dan Bishop, Matt Gaetz, Tim Burchett, and Matt Rosendale, have indicated that they would not support the legislation.
Only one of the House's 12 appropriation bills has been passed, and Republican leaders have decided to hold off on votes on a defense policy bill due to opposition from hard-line members. The Senate, on the other hand, has not yet taken up any of its 12 appropriation bills. The spending agreement was reached through negotiations between the Main Street Caucus and Freedom Caucus.
The legislation would maintain the current budget levels for the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Defense Department. It would also cut the other domestic agencies' funding by 8%. It was part of a debt ceiling agreement signed in June.
Conservatives, however, are not happy with the bill's spending levels, which they believe are too high. They also want to implement tougher border security measures. FreedomWorks, a conservative group, supports the legislation due to the negotiated budget cuts.
They want to see both parties work together to address the country's debt crisis. As the deadline for the budget agreement approaches, members of Congress are trying to reach a compromise and avoid a shutdown.
