Conservatives reject GOP spending plan, threaten government shutdown

Republican leaders in Congress have been trying to avoid a government shutdown, but now conservative lawmakers--many of whom are freshmen affiliated with the tea party--are threatening those plans by vowing to vote against the latest bid to continue funding government operations via a continuing resolution.

Many of the defectors argue that they won't support extensions, such as the current proposal to fund the government another three weeks, because the stopgap measure only delay the eventual reckoning to come: Arriving at a permanent solution to the nation's budget woes, while also addressing the broader economic crisis.

"I will no longer support short-term budget plans," Florida GOP Sen. Marco Rubio announced Monday in a sharply worded release. "While attempts at new spending reductions are commendable, we simply can no longer afford to nickel-and-dime our way out of the dangerous debt America has amassed. It is time our leaders in Washington wake up and realize that we are headed for a debt disaster."

Rubio's statement helped sent the tone for the opposition this week--opposition that's been steadily growing within the GOP caucus on Capitol Hill.

Two of the biggest tea party leaders in Congress--Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota--added their names to the list Tuesday morning. DeMint's staff informed Hotline On Call of DeMint's decision to defect.

Bachmann has argued that because the continuing resolution fails to defund "Obamacare," she will vote it down. "Today I will be voting to continue the fight against ObamaCare. That means I have to vote against the temporary government funding measure that has been proposed by House leaders... I am convinced that a vote for the CR is a vote to not fight against ObamaCare," Bachmann wrote in an op-ed for The Hill. Bachmann and Rep. Steve King of Iowa asked Speaker John Boehner last week to make certain the continuing resolution does not include funds to implement the president's health care law.

Reps. Bachmann, King, Jeff Flake of Arizona, Tim Huelskamp of Kansas, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Justin Amash of Michigan and Allen West of Florida are among the dozen or so House members who have currently pledged no votes. Many of them are freshmen.

The House is scheduled Tuesday afternoon to vote on a resolution to fund the government through April 8 while cutting $6 billion in spending.

The continuing resolution also has some detractors in the Senate, but conservative opposition is less of a threat to the legislation in the chamber, since Democrats hold a majority there. But opposition from Rubio, DeMint, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and others is helping to fuel the broader wave of conservative dissent in Congress.

Continuing resolutions on federal spending usually draw protest votes--six House members voted against the last resolution in March--but the growing number of opponents signals increasing frustration on the Hill.

This will be the sixth extension to fund the government since the last fiscal year concluded on Oct. 1.

When Congress couldn't agree on a budget last year, they voted just before their December recess to fund the government through March 4-- it was their fourth extension since the Oct. 1 fiscal year had concluded. As that deadline approached, Congress voted again March 2 for a two week extension.

That leaves March 18 as the current potential date for a shutdown.

And many Republicans say the proposal is the best option before them.

Appropriations chair Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky said last week that a shutdown is simply "not an option."

Others have attacked their fellow Republicans for trying to stop this spending measure. Rep. Michael Grimm (N.Y.) on Monday blasted those putting the government at risk of a shutdown. "I know that there is some opposition to working with Senate Democrats from the extreme right of the tea party who would rather see a government shutdown than pass a short-term solution; however, as long as we continue to cut spending each time, we are keeping our promise to the American people to reduce the deficit and fix the economy," Grimm said in a statement.

Republicans leaders maintain that the extension will pass this week despite the growing unrest and have expressed their hope that they won't have to endure this fight again in the coming weeks.

"We hope that this will be the last time that we have to engage in any stopgap measures. We would like to see this resolved," Cantor told reporters Monday.

(Photo of Rubio: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)