Democrats aim to triumph in messaging battle as GOP faces chaos over government shutdown.

House Republicans Struggle⁣ with Spending ⁤Deal ​as Democrats Seize the Moment

As House Republican‌ leaders scramble to unify their conference⁤ on ‍a government spending deal, Democrats are seizing‌ the ‌moment to paint themselves as the responsible‍ party in the chamber and place all ⁣the blame on the GOP’s ⁣shoulders.

Progress on appropriations bills has‍ been at a ⁢standstill over the last two weeks as members within the⁤ Republican Party disagree on topline⁢ numbers and push for​ the inclusion of certain provisions in exchange for their support. Democrats, for ⁤the most⁤ part,⁢ have stayed out of the‌ drama — instead letting Republicans take the reins and, if necessary,⁢ the blame for a‌ possible government shutdown.

Will House Democrats Come to​ the GOP’s Aid?

“House Republicans are leading the country towards a government shutdown⁣ because their only ⁢priority is to hurt‍ President Biden politically and ‍to help reelect Donald Trump. It is who they are,” House Democratic ⁢Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-CA) said on Tuesday. “The contrast could not be more ⁢clear: House‍ Democrats are fighting for everyday Americans and House Republicans are ‌fighting​ for Donald Trump.”

House Democrats began circulating a memo⁤ with talking points for lawmakers to use as the‌ deadline nears, instructing members to frame the GOP as “plotting” a government shutdown. The party is even coining the incident‌ as “The Great MAGA⁣ Shutdown.”

“Extreme MAGA Republicans are endangering our national security by ‌threatening to shut down the government.⁤ If they get their ⁣way, our troops will be forced⁣ to serve without​ pay and critical investments in safety and security will be at risk,” the‌ memo sent by Democratic Policy‌ and Communications Committee states. “If House Republicans follow through on​ their threats to shut down the government, they will hurt working families​ and small businesses across the country. The American people can’t afford an extreme⁢ MAGA Republican shutdown.”

The White House also sent out ‌a missive to House Democrats on Wednesday outlining ​the negative effects of a ⁢government shutdown, such as a pay freeze for law enforcement officers,‌ complications with FEMA disaster ‌relief response, and more. And their message is the same: If those things happen, Republicans​ are to blame.

“If extreme House Republicans fail to ram⁣ through their⁢ radical agenda, they‍ plan to take their frustration ‌out on ​the American people by forcing a government ⁣shutdown that would undermine our economy​ and national security, create needless uncertainty ‌for families and businesses, and have damaging consequences across the ‌country,” ⁢the memo states.

Democratic groups are also ⁤involving themselves in the messaging war, ⁢launching a series of ad campaigns against ⁤vulnerable Republicans seeking ⁣reelection in districts President Joe Biden won in‍ 2020. The House Majority PAC ⁤is set‍ to release a new ad over the weekend hitting out​ against House Republicans ‌that will air nationally and in the districts of Reps. Juan Ciscomani (AZ), Ken Calvert (CA), John James (MI), Mark Amodei (NV),​ Anthony D’Esposito (NY), Mike Lawler (NY),⁤ Marc Molinaro (NY), and Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR).

The ‍$500,000 ad campaign includes spots during a‌ series of ​highly anticipated college football games on Saturday, accusing the lawmakers of being responsible for a possible government shutdown. The ad campaign will be released in conjunction with Democratic-aligned groups League of⁤ Conservation Voters and⁤ Climate ​Power.

“Instead of working to grow‌ the middle ‌class, MAGA Republicans are threatening to shut down the​ government,” House Majority Forward Executive Director ‌Abby Curran Horrell ⁢said in a statement. “Americans must make their voices loud and clear, and tell their representatives to stand against cuts‍ to health care, clean⁣ energy jobs, and Social ⁤Security.”

Congress has until Sept. ⁤30 to pass the​ budget ‍for the next fiscal year,‌ after which the⁤ government will run out of money and shut down until ‌a deal ⁢is ​made. By then, ​lawmakers must advance 12 ⁤appropriations bills in⁤ each chamber before sending their final product to the president’s‌ desk for approval, setting ‍the stage for an arduous process as House Republicans and Senate Democrats disagree on‍ top-line spending numbers.

If⁢ Congress ‌can’t pass all 12 of its bills before the end of the month, lawmakers will typically agree to a ​continuing resolution that allows the government to ⁤operate at the same spending ‍levels until​ a new agreement is made. Memes of the House Freedom and Main ⁢Street caucuses unveiled their own CR proposal over the weekend ⁤that would keep the government funded throughout October and bring ⁣spending to $1.59 trillion — the spending level set in the bipartisan debt ceiling deal signed into law in June.

However, more than ‍a dozen House ⁣Republicans have come out ​in opposition to the deal, sending GOP ‍leaders back to the drawing board in order to⁤ get all​ corners of‌ their ​conference to agree.

It’s unclear when the House ​plans to reconvene to vote⁤ on any‌ spending legislation, throwing the House into uncertainty as GOP leaders scramble⁢ to unify their party. Members were ‍advised on ​Tuesday afternoon to ‍keep their⁤ schedules “flexible” over the coming days, with a possibility lawmakers may⁤ need to meet over the⁢ weekend⁢ for votes.

How⁣ are Democratic groups, such ‌as the House⁤ Majority PAC, targeting ⁢vulnerable⁢ Republicans‍ seeking reelection in districts won by President Joe Biden⁤ in 2020 to place responsibility for a potential government shutdown on them

Waves, amplifying the Democrats’ message that the GOP’s‌ internal struggles with spending deals could⁤ lead to a government⁣ shutdown.

While House Republicans are frantically trying to find common ground within their ‌ranks, Democrats are taking advantage of the situation to position themselves as​ the responsible party in ‌the chamber. They are eager to shift all the blame onto‌ the ​GOP for⁣ any potential government shutdown.

The impasse on appropriations bills has brought progress to ⁢a ⁣halt over the past couple of weeks. Disagreements ⁢among Republicans ‌over topline numbers ‍and the inclusion of certain provisions have‌ resulted ‍in a ​deadlock. Democrats, for ⁢the‍ most part, ⁢have chosen to stay out of the drama, allowing Republicans ​to take the lead and ⁣shoulder the blame if a government shutdown becomes a reality.

House Democratic Caucus‍ Chairman Pete ‍Aguilar (D-CA) made his party’s stance clear when he stated, “House Republicans are leading the country towards a government shutdown⁣ because their‌ only priority is to hurt President Biden⁣ politically and to⁤ help reelect Donald Trump. It is who they​ are.” Aguilar highlighted the sharp ⁢contrast between House Democrats, who are advocating for everyday Americans, and House Republicans, who⁣ are perceived to be fighting‌ solely for Donald Trump.

To further⁢ their ​narrative, House Democrats ⁢have circulated a memo containing⁢ talking points for lawmakers to use⁣ as‍ the deadline nears. The memo instructs members to frame the GOP as actively working⁤ towards a ⁤government shutdown. The incident is ⁤being branded as “The Great​ MAGA Shutdown.” By doing ⁢so, Democrats hope to portray extreme⁢ MAGA Republicans‍ as a threat⁢ to national security, suggesting that their actions could lead to a government shutdown that would jeopardize the pay of military personnel and critical investments in safety and security. The memo firmly⁤ places the blame ⁣on House Republicans, characterizing them as a party that prioritizes extreme MAGA ‍ideologies over the well-being of working families ​and small businesses.

The White House has also joined in denouncing the ⁢potential negative consequences of a government shutdown. In a missive directed at ⁣House Democrats, the White‌ House highlighted the ‌adverse effects, such as a pay freeze for law enforcement officers and complications with FEMA disaster relief response.‌ The message remains consistent: if these detrimental outcomes occur, Republicans will bear the‍ responsibility.

Democratic groups have ⁤seized the opportunity to ‌escalate the messaging war by launching a series of ad ‌campaigns targeting vulnerable⁤ Republicans seeking reelection in ‍districts won by President Joe Biden in 2020. The House Majority PAC is⁢ set to release a new ad ⁣over the weekend, which will ⁣air nationally ‌as well as⁣ in the ‍districts of specific representatives. The campaign takes aim at the targeted lawmakers, placing blame on them for the potential government shutdown.

The $500,000 ad campaign includes spots during highly anticipated college football ⁤games on⁢ Saturday, aiming to ‍draw attention to the responsible‍ role House Republicans would play in a government shutdown.⁤ By targeting vulnerable incumbents in key districts, Democrats hope ‌to persuade voters that these lawmakers ‍are responsible for potential economic and​ national‌ security disruptions resulting from a government shutdown.

In⁣ conclusion, House Republicans find themselves struggling ⁢to reach a consensus on a⁢ government spending deal. Democrats are capitalizing on this⁤ internal strife, positioning themselves as⁣ the responsible party in the chamber. They are actively painting House Republicans as the instigators of a potential ⁤government shutdown, citing their prioritization of political gains over the well-being of the American people. Democrats, ​the White House, and various ‍Democratic groups are employing messaging strategies to⁣ place the blame squarely on House Republicans,⁢ warning of the potential dire consequences that a government shutdown could bring. As ⁤the​ situation unfolds, the question remains: will House Democrats ‌come to the GOP’s aid, or will they continue to exploit this moment to score political points?

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