In a recent development, Republican hardliners are begrudgingly conceding their defeat in the ongoing battle over short-term government funding. House and Senate leaders are currently working on passing a stopgap funding extension, known as a continuing resolution (CR), in order to prevent a partial government shutdown. The expiration of federal funding is set to occur in two tranches on January 19 and February 2. This issue of federal spending has caused a divide among different House GOP factions, with conservatives staging various protest votes. This division even led to the removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., from leadership for passing a CR to avoid a shutdown last year.
However, it seems that several GOP rebels who were once fervent in their opposition to the CR are now backing away from the idea of repeating the move with current Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good, R-Va., expressed his disinterest in filing a motion to vacate against Johnson, stating, “The only people I hear talking about that are you guys.” Good was among the eight House Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy in October. Nevertheless, he and other Freedom Caucus members have indicated that there is little they can do to prevent the bill from passing if House leaders put it forward under suspension of the rules, which would require two-thirds of the House’s support instead of just a simple majority.
Representative Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., acknowledged that conservatives may be unable to prevent the CR from passing, even if it is put on suspension and garners Democratic support. However, he made it clear that he personally would not vote in favor of it. Similarly, Representative Dan Bishop, R-S.C., dismissed talk of ousting Johnson from the speakership, emphasizing that Johnson is an honest broker and a genuine conservative. He believes that the problem lies with the Republican conference as a whole and whether its members will demand substantive, lasting, and significant conservative change.
Outside of the Freedom Caucus, other lawmakers were more critical of the potential rebellion against the CR. Representative Greg Murphy, R-N.C., expressed his belief that those individuals who have been pushing for a rebellion have effectively sidelined themselves. He stated, “I think they’re effectively sidelined because they’ve done it to themselves. They just don’t know when to stop, and it’s more about the fight rather than the result. And that’s just, I think it’s pretty pathetic.”
If passed, the new CR would extend the two government funding deadlines until March 1 and March 8, respectively. This comes after conservatives spent the past week attempting to force Johnson to withdraw from a bipartisan deal on government funding for the remainder of fiscal year 2024. However, Johnson remained steadfast in his commitment to the deal and reaffirmed his intent to pass the CR during his weekly press conference. He emphasized the importance of following the proper legislative process and allowing individual appropriations bills to be negotiated, amended, and prioritized.
In conclusion, Republican hardliners are reluctantly accepting defeat in the ongoing battle over short-term government funding. The divide within the House GOP factions has caused tensions and led to the removal of former Speaker McCarthy. However, it appears that there is little these conservatives can do to prevent the passing of the CR if House leaders put it forward. The new CR, if passed, will extend the government funding deadlines until March. Speaker Johnson has held firm in his commitment to the deal and stressed the importance of following the legislative process.
