House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is hoping for a breakthrough as the country heads toward a five-day partial government shutdown.
The House and Senate will return to session on Tuesday after a long recess of three days over the weekend and the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur with all eyes on McCarthy to find a way to break the deadlock in his chamber.
“Look, I believe in everything,” the speaker told reporters Monday. “I never give up.”
McCarthy plans to continue pushing for a stopgap spending bill this week to keep the government fully open while at the same time proceeding with individual appropriations bills aimed at funding operations through next year.
A previous attempt failed to defeat last week, with five Republican rebels joining House Democrats to block progress on any spending measure.
Democrats have been slow to throw McCarthy a lifeline and he appears reluctant to accept it as GOP rebels dangle a motion to oust him.
Majority of Republican conference Kevin McCarthy favored CR to avoid a shutdown, but a small group of holdouts strongly opposed.Getty Images
“I’ve never seen a group as passionate about shutting it down as this crazy Republican MAGA — that little group,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told CNN last week.
“I still have hope. I am still optimistic that once the National Assembly acts in a bipartisan manner [way] … that perhaps the House will follow our example.”
Schumer has signaled that he might work with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to pass a spending patch, which would likely require 60 votes.
Chuck Schumer has been working with his fellow Republicans to gauge interest in CR, which is expected to have no ties whatsoever. CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
At that point, McCarthy will be given the choice of whether or not to take it up for a vote in the House and shake up his right wing.
However, the Senate has also been unable to pass any appropriations bills so far after the so-called “mini bus” package went down to defeat last week.
Meanwhile, the White House – facing polls showing Americans are unhappy with President Biden – has stepped up its attacks on the Capitol Hill GOP.
“This will be a Republican shutdown,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted to reporters Monday. “This shouldn’t have happened.”
An ABC-Washington Post poll released Sunday found that 40% of registered voters would blame Democrats for the government shutdown, while 33% would blame Republicans. The Washington Post called its own poll an “outlier.”
Over the weekend, House Republicans were on top what’s up drafted another continuing resolution featuring more dramatic cuts than those previously managed by the conservative Freedom Caucus and the more centrist Main Street Caucus.
The newer version would see a 27% reduction in non-Pentagon and non-Veterans Affairs discretionary spending, according to Bloombergup from an 8% reduction from the previous deal — and all but ensure its failure in the Senate or a veto by Biden.
While the Freedom Caucus-Main Street Caucus compromise will fund the government until October 31st, the pitch announced over the weekend will keep the lights on until November 15th.
Matt Gaetz is reportedly considering a run for Florida governor. CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
McCarthy’s subtle attempt to peel the GOP rebels received a blow Sunday from former President Donald Trump, who wrote on Truth Social about the possible shutdown: “Whoever the President is to blame, in this case, Crooked (as Hell!) Joe Biden! “
“UNLESS YOU’VE GOT EVERYTHING, SHUT UP!” he adds in all caps.
Hardliners like GOP instigator-in-chief McCarthy, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) was adamant that they would not vote for any continuing resolution at all.
The Republican presidential candidate is also deadlocked. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has encouraged opponents to stand firm, while former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley argued Monday that a partial shutdown would only hurt taxpayers.
The White House has been keen to make the political fallout from the shutdown as painful for Republicans as possible.Getty Images
“It is irresponsible and inexcusable that you would allow the government to shut down. It is also irresponsible and inexcusable not to reduce all expenses,” he told Bloomberg Television.
Moderate Republicans fear a political backlash for the shutdown, but hardliners seem to believe they will be politically rewarded.
“People in my district are willing to shut down the government for more conservative fiscal policies to put us on a path to balance our budget in at least ten years,” Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) told Fox News Sunday night.
Marjorie Taylor Greene helped Kevin McCarthy win the speakership in January, but drew attention to aid to Ukraine. CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images
“I think the only way CR will pass is with a Democratic vote,” Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) tell Semafor.
With the CR bill enacted, but out of reach for now, McCarthy tried to push through appropriations bills, the traditional way to fund the government.
He previously promised to pass all 12 of them individually, a key request from Gaetz and other right-wing lawmakers during a marathon battle for the Speaker’s gavel in January. So far, the House has only passed one.
A government shutdown could cost taxpayers billions of dollars. JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
But Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) who held back thwarted plans to advance others, vowed to vote against the rules for the bill until aid to Ukraine is withdrawn in full.
Meanwhile, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) expressed openness to supporting a motion to vacate the seat and oust McCarthy — something Gaetz threatened to introduce.
With Republicans holding only a four-seat majority in the House, that could pose an existential threat to McCarthy’s speakership.
“I’m not worried if someone makes a motion,” McCarthy told reporters Monday. “I am not worried if someone votes no. I would wake up every day with the same thing that drives my opinion on what to do.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
