Republicans are pouring cold water on Democrats’ hopes of passing a year-long government finance bill in just two weeks: the parties are scrambling to reach a deal while McConnell signals it will be delayed until 2023, when the GOP controls the House
- Last week it appeared that Democrats and Republicans could work together on a so-called “omnibus” spending bill to keep the government funded for a year
- But Conservatives pushed back on the effort, calling for a shorter-lasting resolution to fund the government until January 2023, when the GOP controls the House of Representatives
- Several GOP senators signaled to ahead of their weekly policy lunch on Tuesday that a year-long spending bill is unlikely to materialize
- “I don’t think it’s very promising,” Texas Senator John Cornyn told
- But top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Richard Shelby, said a failure to do so “showed we didn’t do our job.”
Republicans are taking pauses in bipartisan talks to keep the government open and funded for at least a year.
Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell told reporters Tuesday that it was more likely that Congress would have to pass a short-term spending bill and revisit the matter early next year.
But when lawmakers return in 2023, they’ll be on an entirely different political playing field to get things done — one where Republicans control the House of Representatives.
The deadline for passing a spending bill and averting a partial government shutdown is December 16.
It would include money to keep government agencies running and pay federal employees — in addition to other agenda items that Democrats and Republicans can agree on.
Congressional leaders, including McConnell, met with President Joe Biden at the White House last week, where they discussed passing a year-long omnibus package to keep the government running and paying its employees.
Several Republican senators told on Tuesday that they oppose such a large spending package.
Last week, McConnell said there was “widespread agreement” on the need to pass omnibus legislation – but he resigned today during the Senate GOP leadership press conference after the parties held their weekly political luncheons.
Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell said lawmakers are at a “dead end” on state funding after saying last week there was “widespread agreement” to pass legislation on spending for buses
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ignored a shouted question about McConnell’s comments at the end of his Tuesday press briefing
“We’re at a pretty significant impasse,” he began. “Time is ticking when it comes to government spending. We haven’t been able to agree on a top line yet.”
He said it was “increasingly clear” that a short-term financing bill “by early next year” was more viable than a one-year package.
“We’re running out of time and that might be the only option left that we can agree to,” McConnell said.
GOP Chairman of the House Kevin McCarthy suggested on Fox News Monday night that McConnell must delay spending negotiations until Republicans control the House of Representatives next year.
Asked about those comments on Tuesday, Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn told , “I understand where he’s coming from. And that could be where we end up.’
“I think it’s not very promising that the– we don’t even have a top line for an omnibus, so we might end up there,” Cornyn said.
Kentucky GOP Senator Rand Paul made it clear that he opposed an omnibus bill of any kind, period.
“I think the omnibus bill is a terrible idea,” Paul told ahead of the Senate Republican policy luncheon.
“I think a big spending bill, a Pelosi-Schumer spending bill, is a terrible idea and just keeps bankrupting our country.”
Republican Sen. John Cornyn was among lawmakers who proposed abandoning a year-long spending bill for a short-term bill that would postpone the government funding debate to January 2023
Top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee Richard Shelby said the failure of a year-long bill to pass “showed we didn’t do our job.”
However, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee called the delay in the year-long bill a “slap in the face” to the US military.
“They’re the first to get hurt, the veterans,” Alabama Senator Richard Shelby told .
“I think it will have shown that we didn’t do our job,” he told another reporter about the possibility of passing a short-term funding bill as a patch.
“Next year won’t be any better. We’re going to have a divided House of Representatives and a divided Senate,” Shelby said. ‘Lets see what happens.’
As it stands, the Democrats can only get their own omnibus bill through the House with a majority. But it’s an uphill battle in the Senate, where at least 10 Republicans would need to sign for a successful legislative effort.
House GOP Chairman McCarthy argued that Republicans would be in a “stronger” position to pass a spending bill more aligned with their priorities next year.
“We’re 28 days away from Republicans getting the gavel,” McCarthy told Fox News Monday night. “We would be stronger in any negotiation, so any Republican trying to work with them is wrong.”