The GOP leadership is getting some serious pushback on the spending plan revealed by Speaker of the House John Boehner in a closed door meeting yesterday.
The main area of contention is the duration of the spending bill, whether it will be a short-term or longer-term bill. Politico reports, “Instead of a spending bill that keeps the government funded through September with a chance to review the the Department of Homeland Security’s funding in March, the lawmakers want to pass a much shorter resolution.”
A longer-term spending bill will take away House conservatives’ leverage to get more of what they want with a GOP-lead Senate.
A source on the Hill tells PJ Tatler, “That’s what they’re [leadership] trying to do–get folks to yes without defunding amnesty. Because leadership cannot go out and make the winning case on this then turn around and sell their own amnesty later in this off-election year. It’s easier for them to let this go through and they’re trying everything they can to shove Republicans into doing it.”
“I think a lot of us, in discussion, we don’t see the purpose of having a long CR. Why not do it the first day we’re in session?,” said Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) “I’m not sure it’s going to pass the way they are proposing it. I think it’s likely they are going to have to improve it if they want it to pass.”
And there is rumbling on the Senate side of things as well. The House leaders are getting pressure from certain senators to disapprove of President Obama’s executive amnesty plan by withholding funding from related departments while funding the rest of the government. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), Senator David Vitter (R-LA) and Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) came out yesterday afternoon knocking Boehner’s plan.
“The House needs to do the right thing and send over the short term bill with the defund language,” said Lee spokesman Brian Phillips.
Asked specifically about the House plan, Sessions replied: “I’m worried that it’s not going to be effective. You just can’t be bobbing and weaving on this. This is not a matter to be discussed at some point. It’s just unacceptable aggrandizement of power that Congress has an institutional duty to reject.”
Added Vitter: “Make no mistake, sending a bill to the Senate without first making an attempt to include defund language is telling the American people that you support Obama’s executive amnesty. That would be a slap in the face to the voters who sent a message last month by electing Republican majorities in Congress.”
One has to ask, why are House leaders rushing to give up a better legislative situation, especially in light of the recent GOP electoral victory?
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