House Republicans Declare War on GOP Senators Who Back Lame-Duck Spending Bill
A group of 13 GOP House lawmakers on Monday vowed to retaliate against their Republican colleagues in the Senate who vote for a massive omnibus spending package before the lame duck Democratic Congress expires, rather than waiting until Republicans reclaim a House majority in the new year.
“We are obliged to inform you that if any omnibus passes in the remaining days of this Congress, we will oppose and whip opposition to any legislative priority of those senators who vote for this bill – including the Republican leader,” the legislators threatened in a statement. “We will oppose any rule, any consent request, suspension voice vote, or roll call vote of any such Senate bill, and will otherwise do anything in our power to thwart even the smallest legislative or policy efforts of those senators.”
Bipartisan negotiators have reportedly assembled a $1.7 trillion government funding bill, including many earmarks for special interests, to avoid a shutdown at the end of the week. This sum would be on top of the record $858 billion in annual military spending, which cleared the House and Senate last week.
“Senate Republicans have the 41 votes to necessary to stop this and should do so now and show the Americans who elected you that they weren’t wrong in doing so,” the letter read.
The letter’s signatories include many members of the House Freedom Caucus, such as Representatives Chip Roy and Byron Donalds, and some newly-elected members who will assume office in the next session, such as Anna Paulina Luna and Eli Crane. They blasted Republicans who have entertained the omnibus bill for charging through reckless spending at the eleventh hour amid record inflation and a national debt that is eclipsing the size of the economy.
Rushing through the spending would effectively reward an administration that the members allege has abused its power and neglected the American people, including via a politically weaponized FBI, border crisis, and “blank checks” to Ukraine.
Their ultimatum comes after Roy publicly urged Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell to put the brakes on major spending packages until the GOP takes its majority in the House. The GOP majority will be sworn in for the 118th Congress in just two weeks.
“I’m looking at Mitch McConnell when I say this: do your job, Leader McConnell! Do your job and follow the wishes of the American people who gave a majority to Republicans in the House of Representatives,” he said. “And let’s STOP this bill”
