House conservatives fume over deal backed by Johnson

Source: The Hill

03/05/24 6:00 AM ET


Hard-line conservatives are up in arms over the bipartisan government funding deal endorsed by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), but heading into this week’s vote to prevent a partial shutdown, they’ve been forced to acknowledge they’re all but powerless to block it.

Members of the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus have urged Johnson to demand deep cuts in spending and scores of conservative policy changes — including tougher border security — as part of the two 2024 funding packages moving through Congress this month. Absent those provisions, they’ve pressed the Speaker to abandon the 2024 talks and pursue an alternate strategy to keep spending at current 2023 levels through the remainder of the fiscal year.

Johnson’s weekend endorsement of a “minibus” deal, which includes six bills that will fund a slew of agencies through September, essentially ignores the entreaties of his right flank. The package excludes virtually all the contentious policy riders demanded by the conservatives while providing a funding hike of billions of dollars over 2023 levels — an increase established by last summer’s debt ceiling deal between President Biden and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

The deal has infuriated the hard-liners, who are accusing GOP leaders of bailing on the party’s promises to use its House majority to bring fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets to Washington. And the critics aren’t mincing words. “This #omnibus spending bill (divided into 2 “minibus” bills to hide it) will spend $1.65 [trillion] ($30 [billion]+ more than Pelosi), is littered with earmarks, fails to secure the border, & punts almost every GOP policy win – thus, will fund most of Biden’s lawlessness & tyranny,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) wrote Monday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4507677-spending-deal-rankles-frustrated-conservatives/