Take Two
Republican House leadership is trying again to put a spending bill together as a fiscal deadline looms. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R–La.) had intended for the GOP-controlled House to vote yesterday on a new continuing resolution (CR) that would keep the government open past October 1.
But at the last minute he pulled the spending bill in the face of opposition from fiscal hawks and defense spending boosters making mutually exclusive demands.
“I’m a hell no,” said Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.) on X earlier this week. “Congress is spending our country into oblivion, and this bill doesn’t cut spending.”
I’m voting Hell No on the “Continuing Appropriations and Other Matter Act” this week.
I don’t care which bright shiny object is attached to it, or which fake fight we start and won’t finish.
Congress is spending our country into oblivion, and this bill doesn’t cut spending.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 9, 2024
On the flip side, reports Roll Call, were folks like Rep. Mike Rogers (R–Ala.) who said that the continuing resolution was “terrible for defense” because it didn’t increase spending beyond a few extra billion for new submarines.
Another bone of contention was whether to pair the CR with the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require people to show proof of citizenship before voting. Some Republicans thought including the SAVE Act, a conservative priority that’s backed by a handful of Democrats too, would line up votes behind a CR. Others, citing Senate Democrats’ opposition to the SAVE Act, argued for a “clean” CR that just kept the government open.
So, under the pressure of members of his own party to cut spending and increase spending, Johnson canceled a vote hours before it was scheduled to take place.
Politico reports that Johnson is hoping to try again next week with another continuing resolution that will fund the government through the end of March and includes the SAVE Act. Meanwhile, Senate appropriators are starting to hash out a spending bill that is not paired with the SAVE Act and would fund the government until December.
IVF Funding: Meanwhile in the Senate, another awkward dustup is brewing over a bill that would force the government and private insurance companies to cover in vitro fertilization (IVF). Just such a bill sponsored by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D–Wis.) was blocked by Republicans back in June.
At the time, Republicans had put forward an al
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