Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) called on House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to shut down the House over the $1.2 trillion government spending bill.
He explained that Mr. Johnson could do so by removing a ceremonial ornamented staff called a mace. The mace is in place next to the speaker’s chair when the House is in session and it is a 184-year-old custom.
“Take the mace down, cut the lights off, and say we will not come back until you stop the invasion at the border,” said Mr. Norman, calling for the Democrat-controlled Senate to pass a tough border security bill that the House passed last year.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) slammed Congressional GOP leadership over the $1.2 trillion government spending bill, calling it a “swamp glossary”—a reference to Washington’s nickname, “the Swamp.”
“Frankly, our Republican leadership or basically walking swamp glossary,” the Freedom Caucus member said.
He cited what he said are excuses from his party’s leadership such as that the GOP majority in the House is thin.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good (R-Va.) railed against the $1.2 trillion government spending bill, saying it is worse than the spending when the Democrats controlled Congress under the leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
“It does seem this bill again maintains the Pelosi-Schumer policies and spending levels exactly,” said Mr. Good. “It actually increases spending levels by about $60 billion that were in place from the omnibus that we all voted against a year and a half ago, but it has some new things that we want to point out here,” he said at a press conference.
Mr. Good lamented the earmarks and $200 million for the new FBI headquarters in the bill.
Re. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said on March 21 that she would vote no for the newest government funding package, voicing her frustration with the House GOP majority.
“Our Republican majority is a complete failure,” said Mr. Greene in a post on X.
“We have the power of the purse, which means we can control what the entire government does.”
The nonpartisan Job Creators Network (JCN) released a statement calling on Congress to pass the appropriations package.
“Job Creators Network continues to believe that the federal government is too big and unelected bureaucrats have too much power,” said Alfredo Ortiz, JCN president and CEO.
“That said, we commend the House for provisions in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 that, among other things, reduces funding for the IRS and the Department of Labor, claws back $2.6 billion in unused COVID funds, and ensures border patrol officials have the resources they need to protect the country. The Job Creators Network encourages all members of Congress to pass this bill.”
The House is set to vote on a $1.2 trillion spending package at 11 a.m. ET on March 22 to fund 70 percent of the government to avert a partial shutdown.
While the House will likely pass it overwhelmingly, using an expedited process that requires a two-thirds majority for passage—in addition to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) waiving the House GOP rule that requires members to have 72 hours to review legislation before it is voted on—how fast it will pass the Senate is uncertain.
The bill could pass the Senate quickly if no senator objects to expediting the process.
In the wee hours of March 21, the text of the second appropriations bill—totaling $1.2 trillion—to fund most of the U.S. government was unveiled.
The second tranche of spending legislation covers 70 percent of the federal government. This includes the Defense, Treasury, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education, and State departments.
If Congress does not pass the bill by March 23, a partial government shutdown will occur.
Conservative Republicans didn’t hold back on March 21 over the $1.2 trillion spending bill that would fund 70 percent of the government—as the clock ticked toward a partial government shutdown on March 23.
The bill, the text of which was unveiled in the early morning hours of March 21—less than 48 hours before a shutdown was set to begin—immediately reignited tensions in the Republican conference and concerns about House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) leadership of the lower chamber.
“They did make some cuts, but it’s not what I would like,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told reporters in a gentle voice.
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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