Several House Republicans are reaching out to Democrats to support proposals that would avert a Saturday night shutdown of the federal government.
Republican Reps. Mike Lawler of New York, Don Bacon of Nebraska and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania say they will support a stopgap funding bill opposed by House Speaker Keven McCarthy, according to The Hill. If the group gets two more GOP members, it would have — on paper — enough members behind the measure to force a vote.
With the federal government’s current budget expiring Saturday and only one of 12 required budget bills having passed the House, multiple efforts are under way within the slim Republican majority to avert a shutdown.
“We’re going to do whatever it takes to get that bill on the floor,” Fitzpatrick said Sunday on CNN, saying that various parliamentary procedures were being explored.
But having some Republicans side with Democrats would carry a political price, according to Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida.
“If Republican moderates want to go team up with Democrats and sign a discharge petition to take over the floor with Democrats, well, they’ll be signing their own political death warrant, and they’ll be handing it to their executioner,” Gaetz said.
However, he didn’t stop there, claiming that if some Republicans did cross the aisle, it would reflect poorly on McCarthy, too.
“If Speaker McCarthy relies on Democrats to pass a continuing resolution, I would call the Capitol moving truck to his office pretty soon, because my expectation would be he’d be out of the Speaker’s office quite promptly,” he said.
Lawler said he thinks “at least five” Republicans would risk the wrath of conservative Republicans.
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“I’ve sat through hours of meetings and negotiations with these folks over the last 72 hours, and they continually move the goalposts,” Lawler told Hugh Hewitt’s radio show last week.
“As I’ve said, they don’t know how to take yes for an answer. They don’t know how to define a win. They don’t know how to work as a team, and so ultimately we’re left in a position where responsible people need to be the adults in the room.”
A test of what is to come will take place Tuesday, with a vote scheduled on bringing the budget for the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, State and Agriculture to the floor.
McCarthy is seeking a 45-day continuing resolution to fund the government as talks continue, according to CBS.
“I still believe if you shut down, you’re in a weaker position,” McCarthy said Friday. “You need the time to fund the government while you pass all the other appropriations bills.”
However, conservative Republicans have said they want to force deeper spending cuts than are in the current versions of the various budget bills.
The Associated Press noted that the Senate is preparing its own version of a continuing resolution, but that the current version includes aid to Ukraine that may be a stumbling block to passage.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia said if Ukraine aid is included, she would be a “hard no.”
