Freedom Caucus members have expressed frustration over the bipartisan government spending deal brokered by Speaker Mike Johnson.
The $1.59 trillion budget agreement, labeled as “bogus,” “terrible,” “bloated,” and “wasteful,” drew ire from the Freedom Caucus members.
Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer led the negotiations. The deal, hailed as a step to avert a government shutdown, faced criticism from the Freedom Caucus for not achieving significant budget cuts.
Schumer highlighted that Democrats preserved nondefense spending at $772 billion, the same figure agreed upon with Biden and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year. He emphasized protecting priorities like housing programs, veterans benefits, healthcare, nutrition programs, small business support, and funding for federal law enforcement.
What’s the House Majority for?
Despite claims of victory from Johnson, Democrats downplayed the significance of $10 billion in accelerated IRS funding cuts, stressing that new tools to audit the wealthy would remain in place.
Rep. Good expressed disappointment with settling for Democrat-approved caps and questioned the impact of having a House majority.
Johnson’s questionable negotiation skills
Other members, like Norman and Roy, voiced strong opposition to the spending deal, with Norman calling it a “near total abdication” of Speaker Johnson’s responsibilities.
Rosendale criticized the concessions made by Democrats and insisted on securing the border before approving any government funding bills.
Former Trump budget chief Russ Vought, an advisor to the Freedom Caucus, criticized Johnson’s negotiation skills on social media, stating that “lettuce could have negotiated a better deal.”
Freedom Caucus facing challenges
The Freedom Caucus, adamant about spending cuts and securing the border, faces both challenges and criticisms in rallying support for their stance. Rosendale emphasized the need to use every available tool to address what he called a “never-before-seen security crisis,” even suggesting the possibility of shutting down Washington to achieve border security goals.
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