WASHINGTON — Center-right Republicans in the House are sounding the alarm that a series of aggressive lawsuits from far-right lawmakers could stymie government funding legislation ahead of a crucial deadline to avoid a shutdown.
GOP members are pushing back against a gang of 21 ultra-conservatives who sent Chairman Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., an ultimatum with explicit threats to reject funding bills that do not meet their demands, which include cutting spending more beyond the levels in a recent budget law.
Rep. David Joyce, R-Ohio, a member of the Appropriations Committee and chairman of the center-right Republican Governance Caucus, said if far-right members are unrealistic, the majority of the GOP will have to deal with Democrats from the House in the before the funding deadline of September 30.
“I understand and appreciate your tactics. That makes for good sound bites or potential for your media to say they’re the only ones who want to stand up and stop the spending. We’re all conservatives, but most of us want this country to work,» Joyce said in an interview. «We can work together as Republicans, or we can work together as Democrats.»
Joyce added that overly aggressive tactics could cause the GOP-controlled House of Representatives to fail his initial offer and instead empower Democrats. «Our inaction strengthens the hand of the Senate and the office of the president,» he said. “Are we going to shut down the country for this? Close all expenses? No, we are going to reach an agreement”.
Joyce also pushed against a letter from the Judiciary of Chamber CCommittee Cjim jordan hairR-Ohio, demanding a series of funding cuts or restrictions for the Justice Department and FBI in appropriations legislation.
«I’ll tell Jim this to his face: Those are just requests,» Joyce said. «You don’t get prioritized just because you’re Jim Jordan.»
Rep. Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, co-chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus, said some of the 21 signers of the letter to McCarthy are changing their demands after initially insisting that the bills move organically through committee.
“Those people who have signed that letter are now moving the goalposts a little bit,” Bice said in a brief interview. «And I think that’s frustrating for a lot of us.»
In their letter to McCarthy, the ultra-conservatives also insisted that «rescissions» of unspent money cannot count toward their insistence that funding return to fiscal 2022 levels.
It’s a familiar fight for centrist Republicans, who are often agitated by the tactics of their far-right colleagues in the House Freedom Caucus but fight to stop them. Last week, a similar group forced McCarthy to add divisive amendments to the annual advocacy policy bill, including provisions on abortion and transgender people, making the typically bipartisan measure partisan and creating a fight with Democrats. .
Implicit in the new pushback from centrist Republicans is a threat to reject funding bills that cater too much to the far right. But the right flank does not take such threats seriously, believing instead that their centre-right colleagues will eventually concede to their wishes.
“If you are a moderate, you draw the gun and you never expect to have to fire it. Whereas if you’re a conservative and you pull out a gun, you’re ready to pull the trigger,» said a Republican House staffer, who requested anonymity to describe the internal dynamics.
Along the way, some Republicans fear that burdening government funding legislation with unpopular provisions, such as slashing rural energy programs, defunding federal law enforcement or adding anti-abortion measures, could cost politically vulnerable Republicans. re-election in 2024, with Democrats salivating at the thought of arming their votes.
Some Republicans say the House will end up going back to funding levels on the debt limit bill, even though McCarthy has given the green light to far-right demands to pass an initial bill with less spending before negotiations with the Senate led by Democrats and President Joe Biden.
«What happens is we go a little bit to the right on these votes, and when we negotiate with the Senate and the president, we go back to the debt ceiling deal,» said Rep. Don Bacon, R-Nebraska. who represents an Omaha-based district that Biden won in 2020. “I think we’ll look back at the debt ceiling deal by the time we’re done.
«And then they’ll get mad,» Bacon added.
Rep. Dusty Johnson, RS.D., the other co-chair of the Main Street Caucus, said the disagreement within the party is mostly about tactics.
“It may be that when the rubber touches the road, there is an increase in tension. But a lot of Republicans want to spend less money,” Johnson said, adding that some in the conference don’t have to vote on the final bipartisan funding deal. “Final approval coalitions don’t have to look the same as initial approval coalitions.”
Rep. Ralph Norman, RS.C., one of the 21 signatories to last week’s letter, said conservatives aren’t concerned that more moderate Republican lawmakers will reject a bill that leans too far to the right.
“If they do, then it is what it is,” Norman said with a shrug.
“I think we are doing what is good for the country,” he said. “We were not happy with the debt ceiling deal. … The only influence we have now is assignments.”
One sticking point for the right is that it sees certain provisions in the appropriations bills as accounting tricks, which could prove problematic for meeting goals in a way that Republicans can join.
“I am very pro-terminations. I’m just not in favor of using restitutions to pad or raise overall agency spending,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas. “That is what is happening now. … So that’s where the allocations debate lies.”
Asked about the prospects for an Oct. 1 shutdown if Congress fails to reach a deal, Roy said that was up to Biden.
“That depends on whether the administration wants to work with us to change the policies that need to be changed,” he said, adding that House Republicans need to use the “power of the bag” to fight for their values. “You have to force the hand of the administration. We are moving the needle.»