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McCarthy’s funding bill sparks conservative revolt talks.

Conservative Opposition Mounts Against Temporary Continuing Resolution

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy’s​ (R-Calif.) trial balloon on⁤ introducing a temporary Continuing‍ Resolution (CR) when Congress returns from the August ⁢recess to gain additional‍ time to negotiate a new federal spending deal is running into a vocal ​wall of conservative opposition.

Asked by The Epoch Times‌ if he thinks he and other members ⁤of ⁤the ⁣House Freedom Caucus (HFC) can kill a CR, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) left no doubt about where he stands.

“Yes, we will. I mean, ‌I can ⁤tell you right now this gravy ⁢train is going to end. Again, we’re‍ not ‌even touching the interest‍ on the debt; that’s⁤ going‌ to exceed ⁤the entire defense budget of $832 billion in a few years. So we are‍ [going to fight it], and we will throw caution to the⁣ wind,” Mr. Norman⁣ said.

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Similarly, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) ‍ told a local‍ media outlet⁢ he “will ⁣use every tool I have ‌at my disposal ⁢to ⁤stop a ⁢continuing resolution structured that ⁣way and, frankly,​ to fight any efforts to continue to fund‌ this government without radical reform for border security, at ‌the⁣ Department⁣ of Justice,⁤ and at ​the Department of Defense, at a minimum.”

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) speaks⁤ at a House Rules Committee hearing on June 20, 2023. (House Rules Committee/Screenshot​ via NTD)

And ⁢on Aug. 10, Mr. Roy led a group of 14 members of⁤ the Texas House ⁣Delegation⁤ in signing a Dear Colleague ⁣letter declaring “federal funding expires‌ on ​September 30, at‌ which point we ⁣will no doubt face consideration of a continuing⁢ resolution (CR) or full-year appropriations ⁣measures to fund the Biden administration. ‌Enacting a CR would unacceptably mean continuing the funding level and⁤ policies ⁤of the disastrous⁣ FY 2023 omnibus, which Speaker McCarthy correctly argued perpetuates the ​border crisis.”

In their ⁤letter, the Texas representatives said, “Passing​ a full-year [Department of Homeland Security] DHS appropriations⁢ bill without forcing the significant⁤ change necessary to secure the southern border is​ equally objectionable,⁣ even with some policy riders. Therefore, while simultaneously working to reduce spending levels and address other urgent policy matters, we must use the ⁢power of the purse ⁣to force President Biden to end the​ carnage resulting from open borders. ​No appropriation should fund DHS ​until the necessary steps are taken to⁣ secure the border …”

‘No Border Security, No Funding’

The letter concludes, saying, “Simply put, no⁤ member of Congress⁤ should agree⁣ to ‍fund​ a federal agency⁢ at war with his state and people. We have a moral obligation to protect our states, our nation, and, importantly, ​the migrant children getting abused from the disaster transpiring ‌at our southern border.⁤ No border security, no funding.”

Other Texas Republican signers included Reps. Brian Babin, Wesley Hunt,⁢ Keith⁢ Self,​ Randy​ Weber, Beth‍ Van Duyne, ‍Nathaniel‌ Moran, ‍Michael ‌Burgess, Michael Cloud,​ Lance Gooden, Troy Nehls, Pete Sessions, Ronny Jackson, Pat Fallon, and Morgan Luttrell. Only Messers ‍Cloud, Weber, ⁤Jackson, and Nehls are HFC⁣ members.

Mr. McCarthy mentioned the ‌possibility of introducing a stopgap CR during his Aug.⁤ 14 conference call with members of the Republican⁣ caucus​ that controls the‍ House​ of Representatives by a slim margin⁤ of four votes. ​Mr. Norman said ⁣he expects more than enough opposition among the 42 HFC members to defeat a CR.

A spokesman for Mr.⁣ McCarthy notably did not take a⁢ stopgap CR off ⁢the table but declared the Speaker to⁤ be ⁢opposed to a year-long CR.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) speaks ⁣during a ‍House Rules Committee meeting on measures giving working Americans and small businesses more health coverage options, protecting fiscally ‌responsible people⁤ from being punished with higher mortgage ⁢fees, and⁣ condemning moves to use public school facilities⁣ to house ‌illegal migrants, ‍in Washington ⁣on June ⁣20, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The⁤ Epoch Times)

At this early stage in‍ the ⁢budget battle that has become, in recent years, an annual showdown on⁣ Capitol​ Hill, numerous House Republicans, including HFC members like Mr. Weber, are keeping ⁣their powder ‌dry for now.

“He doesn’t like what he is hearing but hasn’t made any‍ decisions.‌ He would like to see what ‍happens and​ what is included in a temporary CR ⁢if that is the road we go down,” a Weber spokesperson told The Epoch ‌Times. Other⁣ HFC members like Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) declined⁢ to comment “at this time,” ‌according⁣ to ⁣a spokesman.

A knowledgeable senior Republican aide described the⁣ present⁢ mood among HFC members as‌ “just beginning to process what happened. They’ve been on trips, a number of them⁣ are on personal vacations, a number have big ⁢districts to cover, so there is no consensus. People are asking, ‍’Are there conditions for the CR? What’s the time​ period covered?’ We’re just kind of all over⁢ the⁢ place on it⁢ at this point.”

Mr. McCarthy’s‍ position⁣ heading ⁣into​ September is complicated immensely by four political realities. First, with ⁢such‍ a slim GOP House majority, it ​doesn’t take many HFC or other conservatives in the Republican ⁣caucus—such as​ those in the Texas ‍delegation joining ⁢Mr. Roy’s “no security, no funding” ‍demand regarding the border—to sink a CR if House Democrats also oppose the measure.

Second, Mr. McCarthy​ proved his abilit



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