Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is one of the several House Freedom Caucus members trying to persuade House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) not to accept a budget deal like his predecessor Kevin McCarthy, who negotiated the Fiscal Responsibility Act with Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and President Joe Biden in May 2023.
On his Firebrand podcast, Gaetz notes that conservative economist Stephen Moore of The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal editorial board are “sheepishly” commending Johnson for, so far, cutting a better deal than McCarthy — “clawing back $20 billion from the McCarthy side deals.”
However, Gaetz tells his followers: “It’s not enough. It’s not good enough. It’s not even close to good enough.”
If we do not get this budget under control, or this border under control, then what is going to be left to fight over?
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) January 11, 2024
We have to build a reservoir of courage among House Republicans to reject this terrible Schumer budget deal, or we will be out of the majority next Congress for… pic.twitter.com/YTt80Cohgp
Gaetz reports that he and fellow House Conservatives including Reps. Byron Donalds (TX), Chip Roy (TX), Marjorie Taylor Green (GA) and Scott Perry (PA) met with Speaker Johnson and told him they “will not tolerate a government funding bill while the border is open.” He added, “You have to shut down the border or we will shut down the government.”
Gaetz admits, “We might fight and lose. We might fight and get rolled anyway, that happens a lot here.”
Note: Stephen Moore said yesterday on the Washington Watch with Tony Perkins podcast that while he thinks “there are a lot of problems” with the current deal, “I think we have to be smart here… I am not in favor of a government shutdown right now.”
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