House Republicans struggle to find consensus on funding plan in closed party meeting

CNN
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House Republicans are still struggling to reach consensus on a government funding plan, with lawmakers discussing the issue during a closed-door party meeting Tuesday morning.

GOP leaders plan to move forward with a vote on their proposal this week, even as some hard-line conservatives continue to entrench themselves and threaten to object to a procedural vote, which would prevent the bill of law to be presented. GOP lawmakers stood up during the meeting to argue for — or against — the plan, which would temporarily fund the government and strengthen border security, but which died upon arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Republican leaders in the House of Representatives canceled a procedural rules vote on the proposal originally scheduled for Tuesday, amid opposition from hard-liners. It is unclear when or if this vote will be postponed.

“There are a lot of ‘no’s’ in this room. I don’t know how they’ll get to 218,” Rep. Nancy Mace, Republican of South Carolina, said after the meeting. “Without an agreement with the Democrats, I don’t see it passing. …It’s going to be a long two weeks.

Government funding is set to run out on September 30.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy encouraged members opposed to the idea to work out their differences in House Republican Whip Tom Emmer’s office, according to sources in the room.

And Rep. Scott Perry, a conservative Republican from Pennsylvania and chairman of the House Freedom Caucus who helped negotiate the deal, told members at the meeting that if they are opposed to the current plan but think there is something else that might support it, “please tell someone what it is,” sources said.

Some hard-line conservatives are now floating the idea of ​​amending the proposal to include smaller spending cuts. Republican Rep. Bob Good of Virginia said leaders are “taking care of everything” at this point, and said that while the deal was brokered by some members of the Freedom Caucus, he made it clear they are not did not represent the entire group.

But he also predicted it would be difficult to avoid a government shutdown at this point, although he added that it shouldn’t be something they “fear.”

Rep. Ralph Norman, a South Carolina Republican, said he thought they should work through the weekend until they can reach an agreement among House Republicans on how to keep government open. He said he accidentally voted in favor of a rule for the short-term funding bill, saying he was “asleep at the wheel” during Monday night’s meeting but planned to vote against the rule when it is debated.

Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican and one of the package’s negotiators, suggested that one potential way to move forward would be for the speaker to present a headline spending number and spending figures for each of the appropriations bills to help members who are still hesitant see the bigger picture.

“I think the most important thing I’ve heard – and this is where I think my colleagues have a really important point – what do we do next? The speaker has to set a guideline, has to set a structure, a goal,” Roy said. “I’ve been saying that for months. We are here in my opinion because we do not have a clear objective.

But Roy blew up some of the opposition.

“I find it extremely difficult to explain or defend opposition to an 8% reduction over 30 days in exchange for the most conservative and strictest border security measures we have ever adopted by this body,” he said. -he declares. “I think it’s inexplicable. I think it’s malpractice, and I think there are outside groups… who are trying to progress and who are part of this and pushing this narrative that this is somehow It is professional misconduct to do this when what would be true professional misconduct would be to move toward a shutdown without a coordinated and concerted message.

Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds said members who negotiated the bill are ready to talk.

“I want to get real conservative victories, no talking points, no tweets, none of that,” Donalds said.

Perry said he continues to try to sell the bill to his colleagues and his message is simple: They can continue to make changes, but at some point they have to decide: do they want to pass something or let yourself be blocked by the Senate?

“It is an offer. I speak for myself. That doesn’t mean I like it, but I’m working with my colleague to find one of two paths. The first path is where we offer something and the American people can see what we stand for, the other path is to honestly accept whatever the Senate sends us,” Perry said. “You won’t get everything you want, but if you don’t do something, you won’t get anything.”

There are at least 15 members currently opposed, and more are undecided, according to a CNN whips tally. Among those opposing it: Reps. Good, Norman, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Dan Bishop of North Carolina, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Matt Rosendale of Montana, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, Eli Crane of Arizona, Cory Mills of Florida, Wesley Hunt of Texas and Paul Gosar of Arizona.

Those 15 “no” votes would easily defeat the bill without any Democratic support, since Republicans control 221 seats to Democrats’ 212.

House Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma had told reporters he planned to come forward with the rule Tuesday, but House leaders later canceled a vote on the procedural rules on their short-term spending bill later Tuesday morning, another sign that House Republicans are deeply divided on the path forward.

Even if his own party were to foot the bill, Cole said he wasn’t worried about the overall strategy.

“Welcome to politics,” Cole told reporters.

Cole, who said some “no” votes were “moveable,” warned colleagues who are withholding their votes for the wrong reasons.

“This is not good legislation and it is blackmail,” he said.

This story has been updated with additional developments.