McCarthy Proposes Short-Term Funding Bill to Avert Govt. Shutdown

Facts

• US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has proposed a stopgap funding package to avert a government shutdown by the end of next month. The proposal was made during a private call with House Republicans on Monday, as the House and Senate remain divided over a long-term agreement.¹
• Sources that took part in the call report that the temporary funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, would not extend beyond early December. McCarthy has been hesitant to endorse the use of a continuing resolution in the past.²
• A resolution could give lawmakers more time to draft a fiscal deal for 2024 and continue funding the government at 2023 levels, set before the GOP took control of the House. Conservative figures in the House have already spoken out against any proposed continuing resolution.³
• On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), said that he and McCarthy have agreed to pursue a funding stopgap. The GOP-controlled House has attached conservative policy proposals to spending bills, with Schumer saying the narrowly Democrat-controlled Senate would reject a "partisan bill."⁴
• The stopgap would buy the House time to pass 12 individual appropriations bills, keeping McCarthy's promise to avoid any omnibus legislation. The spending bills cleared the Senate on a bipartisan basis but could be the subject of fierce debate in the House.⁵
• The debt ceiling deal passed earlier this year saw both sides agree to a 1% across-the-board cut in government spending next year if the deal was still in effect.⁶

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²ABC News, ³FOX News, ⁴NBC, ⁵The New York Times, and ⁶POLITICO.

Narratives

• Democratic narrative, as provided by The Hill. The GOP's far-right is once again threatening a government shutdown if radical proposals on immigration, abortion, and LGBTQ+ rights are not appended to a spending deal, holding Congress hostage. Their irresponsible posturing resulted in a downgrade of the US sovereign credit rating, as McCarthy refuses to stand up to the radical wing of his party. Forcing a politically unpopular shutdown will only hurt the American people, as the GOP makes keeping the lights on in the federal government partisan.
• Republican narrative, as provided by National Review. While the media overhypes internal discord in the GOP for clicks, the fact of the matter is that Kevin McCarthy has shown himself to be the most effective House GOP leader in decades. McCarthy's deft negotiating over the debt ceiling resulted in a deal more amenable to conservatives than liberals, proving himself to be a leader who can secure concessions from the Democrats. His prowess in Washington is not to be underestimated.
• Narrative C, as provided by FOX News. If Kevin McCarthy appeases the Democrats and keeps their reckless spending regime intact, the House will have no choice but to revolt and force a shutdown for the good of the American people. The GOP could take bold action against a weaponized federal government, wasteful spending, and the border crisis if McCarthy does not capitulate and pass a stopgap. The time for half-measures has passed, and it's time conservatives stand up and force the issues that matter most.