(ProsperNews.net) – Republican rebels are warning House Speaker Mike Johnson that they still demand spending cuts after he passed a continuing resolution (CR) to avoid a government shutdown. Known as a “laddered” resolution, the CR creates two deadlines in January and February when the issue will be addressed again, but the bill contained no commitments to spending that GOP members are seeking.
Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania opposed the CR and said, “We want to see good righteous policy. But we’re not going to be part of the failure theater anymore.” Texan Rep. Chip Roy also spoke out in opposition but said he still has faith in Mr. Johnson.
Government spending has created a divide among Republicans and led to the ousting of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy when he, too, passed a bill in October with Democrat help and without concessions on spending. Floridian Matt Gaetz led the charge to have McCarthy removed, creating a period of uncertainty as House Republicans initially failed to agree on a new Speaker.
McCarthy’s bill pushed the government funding deadline back to November 17, meaning Johnson would need to deal with it at that point. On November 14, he introduced the CR which won the support of all but two Democrats and was opposed by 93 Republicans. The two deadlines create separate time limits for different elements of government expenditure.
For example, bills on Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Energy and Water, Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development must pass by January 19, whereas eight remaining appropriations must be worked out by February 2.
Proponents say the separate deadlines mean the government cannot force through enormous spending packages on a single bill, similar to the Omnibus legislation passed just before Christmas last year.
Lawmakers approved the $1.7 trillion Omnibus bill, comprising more than 4,000 pages, on December 22, 2022. Some members of Congress later complained they had not had sufficient time to read or debate its contents.
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