Hardline Republicans threaten a government shutdown with NINE days until funding runs out: Conservatives issue new set of spending demands to Mike Johnson

• With nine days before a potential government shutdown, House conservatives are demanding Speaker Mike Johnson follow their plan, or else 
• The House Freedom Caucus is requesting a yearlong stopgap spending bill
• If the stopgap bill is passed, automatic budget cuts would occur after April 30

The House Freedom Caucus is turning up the heat on Speaker Mike Johnson, telling him to meet their conservative demands in a budget deal or risk a government shutdown.

Over a dozen lawmakers in the far-right group sent a letter to Johnson Wednesday stating their fears about rushing comprehensive government funding bills by the looming March 1 and 8 deadlines.

They say they would prefer a yearlong stopgap spending bill that would automatically trigger 1 percent government spending cuts after April 30 instead of an appropriations deal that would require Democrat support.

And they threaten that if their demands are not met, they may vote against the speaker’s deal with Democrats on individual spending bills and potentially force the government to shut down at the beginning of March.

‘If we are not going to secure significant policy changes or even keep spending below the caps adopted by bipartisan majorities less than one year ago, why would we proceed when we could instead pass a year-long funding resolution that would save Americans $100 billion in year one,’ the letter said.

Currently, the House has nine days to pass some form of funding or the government will begin to shut down.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has already passed several short-term spending bills, and now conservative members in his conference want him to put forth another one

Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus Bob Good wrote a letter to Johnson demanding a stopgap spending bill because it would automatically lead to budget cuts

Former-Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated the automatic budget cuts with Biden in 2023

The budget cut deal was apart of a negotiation between President Biden and then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year, where both agreed that if Congress had not finished passing government funding bills by the end of April, automatic cuts would take effect.

It is unlikely that Democrats would go for a yearlong stopgap bill – also called a continuing resolution or CR – as they are opposed to the 1 percent automatic budget cuts that come with it.

Some Republicans, meanwhile, have also said they do not want another CR, and are determined to work with Democrats to pass all 12 standalone appropriations packages.

In addition to demanding the yearlong stopgap funding, the Freedom Caucus members also asked for an update on the status of current appropriations negotiations.

House-passed appropriations bills must be reconciled with the Senate, which is likely to strip out the more conservative ‘policy riders’ attached.

The group is reticent that Johnson may attempt to put forth an omnibus package, which loops an array of spending bills into one massive bill.

‘With the expiration of government funding rapidly approaching, negotiations continue behind closed doors and as a result, we anticipate text for likely omnibus legislation that we fear will be released at the latest moment before being rushed to the floor for a vote,’ the caucus wrote.

‘House Republicans should not be left in the dark on the status of the spending levels and hard-fought policy provisions.’

And the conservative group is pushing a lot of far-right policies that will never fly with Democrats.

The group wants to cut recently-impeached Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas’ salary to $0, prohibit funding for diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, defund Dr. Anthony Fauci’s research and more.

‘Many of these important policies (and more) were critical in securing the passage of bills in both the Appropriations Committee and in the House last year,’ the letter continued.

‘There are MANY other policies and personnel that Congress should not be funding, and a failure to eliminate them will reduce the probability that the appropriations bills will be supported by even a majority of Republicans.’

Read more