GOP House Freedom Caucus Calls for Spending Cuts Ahead of January Deadline

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Facts

• Ahead of a potential January government shutdown, a statement released by the GOP House Freedom Caucus is urging Republican leadership to avoid making a spending deal with Democrats that is larger than the $1.59T cap set by the stopgap Fiscal Responsibility Act six months ago.¹
• After their return from holiday recess, Congress will have only nine days left to pass a spending bill and avert a Jan. 19 shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is likely to advocate for a year-long extension of current spending levels, facing resistance from conservative GOP members.²
• While Johnson has promised not to exceed the 1.59T cap, the Freedom Caucus's letter called America's debt growth 'unsustainable,' calling for deeper spending cuts. After the Jan. 19 deadline, Congress must also pass a larger batch of departmental funding bills by Feb. 2.³
• House Democrats have warned that the GOP would face pushback if they tried to force spending below the spending cap, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) saying such a move could cause a government shutdown.⁴
• The Fiscal Responsibility Act included $69B in side spending deals, negotiated by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), that have raised the ire of GOP deficit hawks. Under an Act provision, all federal discretionary programs could face steep 7%-10% cuts if a year-long funding bill isn't passed by April 30.⁵
• Aside from the dispute over the $69B in emergency funding, the House is also sparring over aid for Ukraine, a border security deal, and the inclusion of conservative policy proposals in spending bills. On a bipartisan basis, the Senate has been more willing to spend allotted emergency cash.⁶

Sources: ¹FOX News, ²CNN, ³The Washington Times, ⁴axios.com, ⁵Washington Post and ⁶POLITICO.

Narratives

• Conservative narrative, as provided by Washington Examiner. Enough is enough. America can no longer afford to travel on this road to fiscal ruin, with many so-called Republicans willing to enable the obscene wastefulness of the Democrats. Mike Johnson has been stymieing conservatives in the House from taking bold action on issues such as the fiscal crisis and Pentagon funding for abortion. If they are excluded from serious consideration, House GOP patriots will have no choice but to revolt against Johnson's appeasement agenda.
• Republican narrative, as provided by The Hill. While the House has been unable to pass as many bills as they usually do, Mike Johnson is still pursuing a fiscally responsible agenda — listening to the concerns of the Freedom Caucus. Crucially, Johnson is doing everything in his power to maintain unity in the GOP and quell discord so the party is fit to face a bigger challenge: unseating the Democrats in 2024. The Freedom Caucus has legitimate concerns but the larger focus within the GOP will unify around the year ahead.
• Democratic narrative, as provided by Daily Kos. America is experiencing political déjà vu, as the hardline Freedom Caucus once again threatens to hold the nation hostage if Congress refuses to capitulate to its radical agenda. Unsatisfied with unseating one speaker, the Freedom Caucus is already making threatening overtures towards the next if Mike Johnson doesn't decimate government spending — a move that would be disastrous for the country. There is no end to the GOP's dysfunction and self-destruction.

Predictions