Congressman Wesley Hunt (R-TX) is calling out the push to pass an omnibus Continuing Resolution (CR) as an “irresponsible Christmas tradition” and likened the spending bill to Congress handing a “lump of coal” to the American people.
Hunt’s comments come on the heels of a 1550 page pork-filled omnibus CR being stopped last night due to pressure from the public and open opposition from Dept. of Government Efficiency figures Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
The Texas congressman lamented how, “The federal government has become addicted to writing blank checks, not for voters, but for illegal immigrants, foreign countries, and, in some cases, even terrorist organizations,” and how voters were promised that CRs would end in the 118th Congress.
House Republicans were promised that the days of continuing resolutions would end in the 118th Congress.
Yet here we are again, regifting the same tired excuses. How many times can Congress recycle the same broken promises and call it a solution?
— Wesley Hunt (@WesleyHuntTX) December 17, 2024
Hunt took direct aim at the lack of accountability that follows such omnibus spending bills saying:
It doesn’t take a Christmas miracle to pass 12 appropriations bills. It just takes a Congress willing to act in the people’s best interests. This Christmas, and every Christmas after, Americans deserve to know how their hard-earned money is being spent by their government.
Rep. Hunt isn’t the only congressman to call out what’s becoming a D.C. tradition of ramming through shadowy spending bills just before Christmas.
Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie warned more than a year ago that congressional leaders have a habit of punting the ball on funding bills until Dec 20th and then threatening to hold members of Congress in session through the Christmas break if they don’t vote for the bill.
People call me “NostraThomas” for accurately predicting @SpeakerJohnson would use the Christmas recess to force a massive spending bill through Congress.
After claiming he would not, Johnson is embracing a D.C. tradition that’s nearly as old as decorating Christmas trees. pic.twitter.com/TRd1ZiCXtc
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 18, 2024
Massie, who joking refers to himself as “NostraThomas” for accurately predicting this current congressional chaos, also condemned the practice of pressuring members of Congress into voting on a massive bill that they have not had time to read.
Behind those concerned congressional faces currently bemoaning the possibility of a partial government shutdown and the withholding of funding for their pet causes, is a gang of dedicated swamp creatures working desperately to conduct business as usual.
The 1974 Budget Act calls on the President to present a proposed budget for the next fiscal year to the Congress by March 1st of the current fiscal year. Congress is supposed to pass a budget by May 30. Based on that budget, Congress is then supposed to pass the 12 appropriations bills by September 30 for the fiscal year beginning October 1st. The last time the President and Congress actually accomplished those steps on time and in order was 1977.