- The deal includes $886.3 billion for defense spending and $772.7 billion for non-defense programs
- The deal actually costs $1.658 trillion, but a “side deal” of offsets and fiscal austerity cuts that number by $69 trillion
- The conservative House Freedom Caucus called the new deal a “total failure”
Republican Party hardliners aren't happy with a $1.6 trillion deal reached by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer over the weekend – setting up a showdown at which only has 11 days left until the government runs out of funding.
House and Senate negotiators agreed to a top deal that leaves fiscal 2024 spending at $1.6 trillion, the exact amount agreed to under former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's debt-limit agreement.
The deal includes $886.3 billion for defense spending and $772.7 billion for non-defense programs.
The deal actually costs $1.658 trillion, but a “side deal” with offsets and fiscal austerity cuts that figure by $69 trillion on the non-defense side.
Still, conservatives in the House are not impressed, with some calling the deal a “total failure.”
“It's even worse than we thought,” the right-wing House Freedom Caucus posted on $1.59 trillion.”
Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a new $1.6 trillion deal on Sunday to fund the government in 2024
Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer both claimed victory with the deal, whose revenue exactly matches the revenue figure set by McCarthy before his ouster over right-wing criticism of his spending plan.
But to allay Republicans' concerns, Johnson wrote in a letter to his conference that the deal would allow Republicans “to fight for important policy issues included in our House's fiscal year 2024 bills.”
But in a joint statement, Democrats Schumer and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that they “will not support the inclusion of poison pill policy changes in any of the 12 budget bills submitted to Congress.”
Democrats will certainly fight against all conservative trends, such as restrictions on abortion rights or what Republicans see as a “woke” and armed federal bureaucracy.
The clock is ticking for Congress to pass a spending deal, with funding for four agencies expiring on January 19 and funding for eight others expiring on February 2.
Republicans have held a two-seat majority for most of the month, with Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., recovering from cancer treatment at home for most of January.
To pass funding for the four agencies expiring in January and the eight expiring in February, the deal will likely need significant Democratic support.
Johnson has ruled out another continuing resolution that would buy more time to pass spending legislation, although it could be one of the few options to avert a government shutdown.
Overall, the framework offers a slight increase of 0.2 percent over 2024, or around $1 billion. Defense and security spending will increase by $28 billion, about three percent.
In his letter, Johnson acknowledged that the deal does not “cut spending as much as many of us would like,” but said it would allow them to move forward and “focus funding within the top line on conservative goals, instead of last year's Schumer-Pelosi omnibus.'
Schumer and Jeffries said the non-defense spending would “protect key domestic priorities such as veterans benefits, health care and food assistance from draconian cuts sought by right-wing extremists.”
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, called the deal on X “terrible.” “We are spending more and more money that we don’t have,” he added. He said he would “wait and see whether we get any meaningful political stimulus.”
Don’t be fooled by the swamp,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., wrote on “Both parties are addicted to reckless spending, and it’s time to put an end to it.”
“The DC Uniparty’s alleged $1.590 trillion spending deal is false,” added Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. “$1.658 trillion is the real number once you cut through all the smoke and mirrors.” It’s sad to say, but the spending epidemic in Washington continues and both parties are guilty.”
Johnson said at his conference that he had received “hard-fought concessions” from Democrats, including “an additional $10 billion in IRS mandatory funding cuts (for a total of $20 billion), which is a major factor in the inflation of the United States.” Democrats be 'cuts bill.' “In addition, we will cut $6.1 billion from the Biden administration’s ongoing COVID-era slush funds, which we accomplished despite fierce opposition.”