Congress careens toward a shutdown in 12 days: Kevin McCarthy tears into Republican rebels trying to sink short-team deal that would cut spending and keep government funded for 31 days

Just 12 days separate the federal government from a total shutdown, and Speaker Kevin McCarthy has grown impatient with Republican reluctance on spending legislation.

McCarthy vowed that leadership would work through the weekend as negotiators appeared to concede defeat over Republicans’ recently released short-term resolution.

“We’re going to bring new ideas to the table and we’re going to keep working until we get this done. We’re not going away this weekend. We will get through this,” McCarthy told reporters.

About a dozen Republicans have pledged to vote “no” on a deal brokered by the right-wing House Freedom Caucus and the Main Street Caucus, a group of pragmatic conservatives, to extend government funding for another month — buying Congress more time to negotiate. to develop expenditure legislation and finance the government for the 2024 financial year.

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, a member of the Freedom Caucus and author of the deal with Main Street Chairman Dusty Johnson to avoid a shutdown, reasoned that a government shutdown wouldn’t be that bad

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds, a member of the Freedom Caucus and author of the deal with Main Street Chairman Dusty Johnson to avoid a shutdown, reasoned that a government shutdown wouldn’t be that bad.

“People can live without our government for a while. I don’t see why not. The sun rises every day, people live their lives. Life goes on.’

Meanwhile, Indiana Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz unleashed on “weak” McCarthy in a statement announcing her opposition to the bill.

“It is a shame that our weak speaker cannot even commit to setting up a committee to discuss our looming budget catastrophe,” she said.

“True leadership takes courage and a willingness to fight for country, not for power and a picture on the wall,” the Ukrainian-born congressman continued. “The Republican House is once again failing the American people and following a path of gamesmanship and circus.”

The speaker then mocked Spartz for retiring.

“Anyone who criticizes you has never worked harder than you. And I mean, if Victoria is worried about fighting stronger, I wish she would have gotten back to work and not given up,” he told reporters.

“I wish McCarthy would work as hard at running our country as he does at collecting checks,” Spartz shot back at X.

The deal would keep Defense and Department of Homeland Security funding at current levels and cut all other appropriations by eight percent across the board.

The bill does not include funding for disaster relief or funding for Ukraine.

Even if Republicans in the House of Representatives manage to push it through, it will not pass the Democratic-controlled Senate or be signed by the White House.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the bill an “insult” to Ukraine and said he “can’t think of a worse welcome” for President Volodymyr Zelensky, who will visit the Capitol this week.

Some Republicans who now oppose the HFC-Main Street deal insist they don’t want any further resolution at all and that the House should pass all 12 appropriations bills.

Some say they won’t vote for a CR unless the Justice Department, specifically Special Counsel Jack Smith and his Trump investigations, “gets their funding back.”

Meanwhile, two Freedom Caucus members and Trump-supporting Florida Republicans, Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds, spoke about the short-term CR, authored by Donalds, on X.

Gaetz claimed that Donalds’ bill “gets the job done for Jack Smith.”

Donalds responded, “Matt, tell people the truth. The DOJ will operate whether the government is closed or not. Special prosecutors have always exempted themselves from shutdowns. What’s your plan to get the votes to debunk Jack Smith? You need more than tweets and hot takes!!”

“A Continuing Resolution like the one you introduced continues America’s decline,” Gaetz said. “Put this disaster behind us and let’s get one of our best players (you!) back in action.”

Last week, Gaetz said it would be “shot, hunter” if he immediately filed a motion to leave the House to impeach McCarthy if he suggested any form of CR.

Spartz and Gaetz launched attacks on McCarthy on Monday

Gaetz also waded back and forth into the McCarthy-Spartz.

“This quote from is disgraceful,” he wrote on X. “Rep. Spartaz retires after honorable service because her family needs her and she values ​​the most important institution in American life. Kevin attacking a woman for putting her family above ambition and power is truly a new low. Kevin would never understand if you subjugated your ambition to something or someone.”

Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, leader of the GOP Governance Group, called Gaetz a “special person.”

“What has he ever accomplished in all the years he’s been here other than speaking up?”

Leaders of the deal said they are still pushing the bill to members and trying to dispel the idea that it includes Ukrainian funds.

Even Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a leader on the bill who is not afraid to oppose the Republican Party’s leadership in the House of Representatives, expressed frustrations with those who “like to pat their chests and say, ‘This is not pure enough.”