Republican Congressman Thomas Massie is speaking out against Speaker of the House Mike Johnson’s plan to pass a “clean” government funding bill endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Newsweek reached out for comment to Johnson’s office via email on Tuesday night.
Why It Matters
Johnson and other Republican leaders are hoping to pass a temporary government funding bill, or continuing resolution (CR), before a government shutdown deadline of March 14. Republicans control Congress but have little margin for error with slim majorities in both the House and the Senate.
The pressure to pass a funding bill comes as Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) attempts to dramatically curtail government spending with executive orders, cost-cutting measures at federal agencies and mass firings of government workers.
Massie, of Kentucky, is a staunch fiscal conservative with a history of voting against his party on some key votes. He was the only Republican to vote against Johnson’s reelection as House speaker in January.
What To Know
Johnson is calling for the House to pass the CR that he says would fund the government at current levels through September 30. While House Republicans could pass the bill without Democratic support if they are united, it is not clear that the measure will pass along party lines and Democratic support would be required in the Senate.
“We’re working hard to do our responsibility to keep the government open,” Johnson said during an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday. “Democrats have to help negotiate this and they, to this point, have shown no interest in finding a reasonable solution to that. We’re looking to pass a clean CR.”
On Tuesday, Massie made it clear that he was not on board with Johnson’s plan, accusing Johnson of ignoring the law and suggesting that the funding bill would be funding “waste, fraud and abuse” in the following post to X, formerly Twitter:
“I’ll vote against a clean CR that funds everything in 2025 at 2024 levels because: 1. @SpeakerJohnson isn’t following the provision in law that would have cut everything by 1% if the CR extended past April. 2. We should not fund the waste, fraud, and abuse that Doge has found. 3. These are supposed to be 12 separate bills. 4. We were told that the CR in December that got us to March would allow us to prioritize Trump’s agenda this March using the checkbook.”
What People Are Saying
Trump, in a post to Truth Social on February 27: “As usual, Sleepy Joe Biden left us a total MESS. The Budget from last YEAR is still not done. We are working very hard with the House and Senate to pass a clean, temporary government funding Bill (“CR”) to the end of September. Let’s get it done!”
Johnson, during his Meet the Press interview: “We’re looking to pass a clean CR to freeze funding at current levels [and] to make sure that the government can stay open while we begin to incorporate all these savings that we’re finding through the DOGE effort, and these other sources of revenue that President Trump’s policies are bringing the table.”
Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales, in a post to X on Sunday: “I am a NO on the CR. Congress needs to do its job and pass a conservative budget! CR’s are code for Continued Rubberstamp of fraud, waste, and abuse.”
Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz, in a post to X on Tuesday: “Congress has only 10 days until a government shutdown, and Speaker Johnson still hasn’t brought a single one of the 12 spending bills he promised. We can’t just pass a clean CR, which might fund waste and continue the status quo. So where are the bills?”
Democratic Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Democratic Senator Patty Murray, in a joint statement: “It’s incredibly disappointing that Republican leadership is walking away from bipartisan negotiations to fund the government—and raising the risk of a shutdown in so doing… Their plan would only help Trump and Musk cut off support for our veterans, cancel lifesaving cancer research, and threaten seniors’ Social Security benefits.”
What Happens Next
It is unclear whether a temporary funding bill will successfully pass through Congress before March 14. Republican leadership is likely to heavily focus on the issue following Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.
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