House Freedom Caucus members are warning fellow Republicans to not make any “shady side deals” with any Democrats as spending talks resume forward of a Jan. 19 deadline to keep away from a partial authorities shutdown.
The ultra-conservative caucus launched a press release Friday urging the House GOP to cut back spending to deal with the nation’s huge debt.
“America is on the path to fiscal ruin. We are rapidly approaching $34 trillion in debt — roughly $100,000 for every American — and our debt to GDP ratio is higher now than it was after World War II,” the Republicans wrote. “To call this ‘unsustainable’ is an understatement. It is a fiscal calamity.”
They stated they’re “extremely troubled” that House Republican management is contemplating an settlement that might go above the $1.59 trillion statutory cap that was set six months in the past by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which was agreed upon by the White House and Congress.
The deal was made between President Biden and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, California Republican. From the beginning, it was criticized by Republicans who wished a decrease cap. However, Freedom Caucus members in November stated they might ease up on their calls for.
The spending cap has been a flash level between the Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, with conservatives in search of additional cuts and Democrats desirous to spend as much as or past the caps.
“As Congress negotiates FY 2024 government funding, Republicans must truly reduce programmatic spending year-over-year from the enacted FY 2023 level, and end the use of disingenuous gimmicks to conceal from Americans the real spending harm being perpetrated by their elected representatives,” they stated. “Anything less represents more failure and suffering for the American people.”
Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, stated earlier this month that he wouldn’t exceed the $1.59 trillion cap.
“What we agreed to was what is written in the law, which is the FRA numbers on topline. The Senate has been projecting and writing well above that too … billions of dollars. That’s not what the law says,” Mr. Johnson stated at a year-end information convention.
The strain comes with lower than a month earlier than the Jan. 19 deadline for the primary of two batches of appropriations payments. The second, greater batch of payments funding numerous departments and companies will expire on Feb. 2.
If Congress doesn’t discover a option to move the payments, the federal government dangers a partial shutdown.
“Republicans promised millions of voters that we would fight to change the status quo, and it is long past time to deliver,” the Freedom Caucus members stated.
