U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a member of the House Freedom Caucus, speaks during a news conference on federal government spending on Capitol Hill in Washington, September 12, 2023.
Elisabeth Franz | Reuters
After six months of budget impasse, stopgap financing measures and a near-shutdown, Congress this weekend finalized the remainder of a permanent spending plan for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Before House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, can breathe easy, he will have to face House Republican hardliners. freedom caucus.
They also made clear they intend to ramp up efforts in the speaker’s next tough funding battle: Ukraine.
“I can guarantee you that if you put a Ukraine bill on the ballot without securing the border, there will be disapproval within the ranks and on Capitol Hill,” said Rep. Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus. There’s a problem.” Texas, Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
Johnson has been in hot water with the Freedom Caucus over concessions he made to pass a budget bill and avoid a government shutdown.
“I think Speaker Johnson — and I’ve spoken publicly about this — made a mistake,” Roy said. “I don’t think this bill reflects the aspirations of the American people.”
Roy joins the ranks of Republican hardliners opposing the budget bill, which has passed both chambers of Congress in the past few days. Hardline Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., introduced a motion to oust Johnson on Friday morning shortly after the House voted to pass the budget bill.
Johnson made several last-minute moves to pass a budget bill before funds run out at midnight on Friday, after which a partial government shutdown is set to take effect.
For example, he violated the House’s 72-hour review rule, which requires a 72-hour window after the release of legislative text and before a vote so lawmakers can review proposals.
He also adopted a fast-track voting process that requires a two-thirds vote instead of a simple majority, meaning he must seek support from Democrats to pass the legislation.
“As we all know, we have the smallest majority in the history of the United States,” Johnson said Thursday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “So, yes, there is a need and you have to get both sides to agree to a lot of it.”
Compromising with Democrats was one of the core grievances that led to the ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. He became the first Speaker to be forcibly removed from office.
McCarthy’s fate hung over Johnson’s tenure as speaker as he tried to balance the interests of the hardline conservatives who elected him while making enough compromises to keep the government afloat.
Ukraine funding decisions will become more challenging for Johnson as the budget is finally agreed.
Congress continues to provide funding to Ukraine, which has been depleted for months. The House is currently considering a $95 billion spending proposal to provide aid to Ukraine and Israel and other war-torn regions, and the Senate passed it in February.
But Republicans like Roy oppose continued aid to Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia: “If America’s borders are fully open, not a dollar should be used to fund Ukraine, not a dollar.”
The border has become a top voting issue in the 2024 election, largely after Republicans blocked a spending package that would have provided $20 billion in border funding. Former President Donald Trump stoked Republican dissent, reportedly telling Republicans to oppose the plan to avoid a Democratic border victory this election year.
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