Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) is warning his Republican colleagues that Congress will be unable to pass all 12 of its annual spending bills before its deadline after the House voted earlier this week to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), leaving the lower chamber unable to advance any legislation until a new leader is appointed.
“Because of what we’ve done here with the speaker, with the 45-day clock getting shorter, we’re not going to get appropriations bills completed through the Senate and signed and dealt with in conference — if ever, we’re certainly not going to do it by [the Nov. 17 deadline],” Roy told conservative podcast host Daniel Horowitz on Thursday.
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The House voted 216-210 to strip McCarthy of his speakership on Tuesday, leaving the lower chamber at a standstill as lawmakers cannot conduct any legislative business until a new speaker is elected. That vote came just days after Congress passed a stopgap measure to keep the government funded until Nov. 17, after which the government will shut down if a new budget is not approved for the 2024 fiscal year.
Roy said he’s talked with his conservative colleagues, particularly those who voted against the stopgap measure last week, on how House Republicans should address the battle over spending.
The Texas Republican indicated he would not vote for another clean CR, which would keep the government funded at its current spending levels without any policy riders attached. Instead, Roy said the House should advance a stopgap measure that cuts spending but includes measures for border security — much like the resolution that was initially drafted by GOP lawmakers but shot down by hard-line conservatives.
“Then you can have a message and force the debates while you’re moving appropriations bills and stick it over there,” Roy said.
It’s not clear whether the group of hard-line conservatives would be willing to advance a short-term measure, especially as some members such as Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) have said they would “never” support a temporary spending bill. However, that leaves Congress on a path to shutdown, according to Roy.
“You just end up in a shutdown and you haven’t messaged,” Roy said. “So my question for my conservative colleagues is which option do you want to choose?”
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Congress has until Nov. 17 to pass all 12 of its annual appropriations bill before federal funding is set to lapse. The House has passed four of its spending bills so far while the Senate has not yet voted on any.
The House was set to vote on two of its spending bills this week, but that plan was upended earlier this week after lawmakers voted to oust McCarthy from his speakership. Lawmakers are expected to begin voting for a new speaker sometime next week, although it’s unclear how long that could take — further delaying the appropriations process.
