In the aftermath of the debt ceiling showdown and subsequent compromise deal, conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives have suggested that they may actively block any potential spending bills for next year’s budget.
As reported by The Hill, many conservatives have already left Washington D.C. for the week, claiming that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is simply using fiscal “gimmicks” in the new debt ceiling deal to create the illusion that 2024 spending will be cut back to 2022 levels. Conservatives say that these minimal efforts do not reflect long-term, permanent reforms that would actually rein in federal spending.
As a result, some conservatives are vowing to oppose any spending bills that their own party proposes later this year, which will increase the likelihood of a government shutdown.
“He’s not doing ‘22 spending levels; he’s talking ‘22 spending levels,” said Congressman Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) on Thursday. “Talk is cheap. The idea of saying that we’re marking to 2022, but we’re going to buy up to 2023 marks with rescissions, just — to me that’s disingenuous.”
Congressman Ken Buck (R-Colo.) expressed a similar sentiment, saying that “my understanding is they’re going to use ‘23 numbers, and then through rescissions, get back to ‘22 numbers. So if they don’t get the rescission, then they don’t get the ‘22 number…To go off the cliff at the ‘22 pace is not much different to me than going off the cliff at the ‘23 pace.”
Conversely, House Democrats have vowed to oppose any spending proposals that fall below the minimum spending figures that were outlined in the debt ceiling deal signed by Joe Biden earlier this month. With the Republicans maintaining a narrow 4-seat majority in the lower chamber, McCarthy has virtually no room for defections from his own party.
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