- Congress has until September 30 to pass 12 spending bills or pass a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown.
- With House Republicans divided over how to proceed, several 2024 Republican primary candidates offered insight into how they would handle the spending battle if they were president.
- “We wouldn’t be in this position in the first place under Mike Pence, because even from his time in Congress, Mr. Because he has shown time and time again that he is not afraid to fight,” campaign spokeswoman Rachel Slobodien told the Daily Caller News. Foundation.
With a government shutdown looming next week, several 2024 Republican presidential candidates are weighing in on the contentious spending fight on Capitol Hill.
Congress needs to pass 12 spending bills or continuing resolutions by Sept. 30, but Republican infighting in the House has hampered any action to avert a government shutdown, and lawmakers are It is closed for the weekend on Thursday. Leading Republican candidates offer opinions on how or if Congress should continue to fund the government, including those who will direct House Republicans to follow through on campaign promises and those who will seek long-term guidance on spending. Some people proposed solutions.
“A very important deadline is coming up at the end of the month. Republicans in Congress are demanding funding from all sides against a crooked Joe Biden’s weaponized government that refuses to close the border and treats half the country as the nation’s enemy.” can and must be stopped,” former President Donald Trump said. I have written On True Social Wednesday. “This is also your last chance to defund political prosecutions against me and other patriots. They failed with the debt limit, but they must not fail now. Protect our country with the power of your wallet.” !”
Speaker Kevin McCarthy led the House to pass the Fiscal Responsibility Act in late May to avoid a national debt default. The bill, negotiated by Mr. McCarthy and President Joe Biden, would allow the government to obtain unlimited debt until January 1, 2025, freeze non-defense discretionary spending at fiscal year 2022 levels, and Provides for the recovery of used COVID-19 Stimulus Funds.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley released her economic policy plan Friday, saying Congress shouldn’t get paid if it can’t pass a budget. Stuart Barney of Fox Business Asked Haley Wednesday says she plans to blame her if the government shuts down, and her campaign pointed that out to DCNF in response to a request for comment. (Related: House Republicans balk at temporary spending bill)
“If that happens, I’m ready to condemn the entire Congress because what we expect from Congress is to do the job,” Haley said. “To do a job is to balance a budget. . They don’t do that. They live like drunken sailors. To work is to pay off a debt, because our children will never forgive you. Doing your job is about reducing inflation, ensuring energy dominance, and ensuring people can build and rent homes again. Doing your job helps keep us from going to the grocery store , you will be able to buy groceries for your family and put as much gas in your car as you need. Congress has failed everything and we need to fix this.”
If Congress fails to pass a budget bill, they will not receive their salaries. No budget, no salary – it’s that simple. #Freedom Plan
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) September 22, 2023
Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus and the moderate Main Street Caucus. created A Continuing Resolution (CR) that provides temporary funding to the government for an additional month. The CR included nearly 8% cuts in non-defense discretionary spending; border security law Many House Republicans immediately opposed the deal to expand government funding because of its conservative provisions.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis weighed in on the spending fight, telling leading House Republicans:Keep fighting,” says Politico. report September 14th Fox Business host Stuart Barney Asked DeSantis was asked Tuesday whether he supports the fact that some conservatives are not concerned about a government shutdown, pointing his campaign in the direction of the DCNF.
“Well, I think they are proceeding with what they said they were going to do. But I would argue the opposite, because this excessive debt and spending is closing off the American Dream for so many Americans. , I think the people who are in favor of closure are people who want to maintain the status quo,” DeSantis said. “You can’t buy a house, you can’t buy a car, you can’t even buy groceries. That’s a direct result of the actions of Washington, D.C., which has accumulated an exorbitant amount of debt over the last four to five years. So we’re moving in this direction. By continuing to move forward, you’re saying you want to continue to cause pain to the American people. I think they need to stop spending, and I think they need to do it in a better way.”
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, currently the only presidential candidate in Congress, was asked on Wednesday during a New Hampshire campaign speech, in remarks provided by his campaign to DCNF, whether he thought a government shutdown could be avoided. .
“It seems like a tough deal to be honest. It seems like a very tough deal to bring all the pieces together. But I know Kevin McCarthy is working on it and we ourselves are working on it. I hope we get a chance to talk about it,” Scott said. “But, frankly, now is the time to get tough when it comes to the long-term interests of this country. And we can’t just think about the current continuing resolution if it doesn’t meet the long-term needs of our country. there is no.”
Former Vice President Mike Pence believes entitlement reform is needed to increase spending and control the budget. “We wouldn’t be in this position in the first place under Mike Pence, because even from his time in Congress, Mr. Because he has shown time and time again that he is not afraid to fight,” campaign spokeswoman Rachel Slobodien told DCNF. “Unlike most other candidates, Mr. Pence is prepared to tackle spending and the budget head-on by pursuing entitlement spending.”
The Real Clear Politics average In the 2024 Republican national primary, based on polls conducted from September 6th to September 18th, Trump has a lead of about 45 points in a crowded field, followed by DeSantis with 12.7%. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy has 8.1% and Haley 4.9%. And Mr. Pence had 4.1%. Scott and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie were tied at 2.2%, with all other Republican candidates receiving less than 1% support.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum will use his skills as a successful businessman to cut spending and balance the budget, his campaign said. “This is why America needs a business leader and a governor to be its next president,” Lance Trover, the campaign’s communications director, told DCNF. “Rather than teeter from crisis to crisis, Governor Burgum balanced North Dakota’s budget by cutting spending by 27%, eliminating red tape, and implementing the largest tax cut in state history. . Right now, North Dakota’s economy is on fire. As president, Doug will do the same for America: eliminate wasteful spending, break through bureaucracy, and get the economy booming.”
Conservative radio personality Larry Elder claims he will try to amend the Constitution to fix government spending. “Under President Elder, we would seek an amendment that would set spending at a percentage of GDP,” Elder told DCNF. “The federal government is America’s largest landowner when it comes to funding its current obligations to ‘rights.’ Land and other government assets, such as bridges, dams, and Amtrak, can be sold or leased to the private sector. That revenue will be used to reduce government debt. Amending the constitution will prevent it from becoming bloated again.”
Trump, Ramaswamy, Christie, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd did not immediately respond to DCNF’s requests for comment.
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