BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) is taking center stage in the battle between Republicans in the House and Senate to fund the government for another year. And it comes as he continues to face opposition in his bid for speaker from five House conservatives — enough to tank his chances.
McCarthy is arguing to delay a new funding bill until the GOP takes control of the House in the new year, when, he says, Republicans will have more say in the spending and priorities.
“We will have the gavel. Do a short term CR, put it into the end of January, end of February,” McCarthy said on Fox News about the $1.7 trillion dollar omnibus bill that would fund the government until September 2023.
McCarthy tweeted his support of a letter sent by a handful of House Republicans — including the five who oppose him for Speaker — warning GOP Senators about supporting the bill. In his tweet, the House minority leader took it a step further, pledging any legislation from a Republican Senator who votes for the bill will be ‘dead on arrival’ in the GOP controlled House.
“What the Senators are using, they are using a few people who say they are not yet decided on what they are going to do for Speaker, so they are saying well Kevin doesn’t know if they’ll be able to get it done. They are trying to say that. We can get the job done,” McCarthy said.
Some Senate Republicans shrugged off the comment, saying it’s the fear of what a Republican-led House with a very small majority will be able to accomplish that is driving them to work on this funding bill.
“I think statements like that and statements coming from House Republicans is the very reason some Senate Republicans feel they should probably spare them from the burden of having to govern,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) told CNN.
Meanwhile, Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford) said it’s the rushed and all-encompassing nature of the bill that gives him doubts.
“I sit on the House Appropriations Committee. My chair has not been involved in the negotiations. They have not been at the table on any of this. We had a 4,000 page bill dropped in our laps just a couple of days ago,” Valadao said.
“They wait for this last minute, just drop it on our laps and hope for the best. The strategy is horrible, and so voting for this bill, I see as supporting this process and I just don’t think that’s helpful.”
The government funding bill passed the Senate on Thursday. The House is expected to take it up on Friday.
