McCarthy says he doesn’t want stopgap funding in run-up to holidays

Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Sunday he does not want short-term stopgap funding to butt up to the holidays as lawmakers struggle to come to an agreement over appropriations levels in the midst of a push by conservatives to cut federal spending. 

When asked by “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo if he would be in favor of stopgap funding until December or January, McCarthy said, “I want to make sure we’re able to set this where it’s not by a holiday, that it’s just enough time that, if we can do more of our work, that we could be in conference with the Senate.”

“I would give us a short-term, because Washington only works on deadline,” McCarthy continued. “Give us that short-term deadline that makes our policies strong, that we have been able to pass them … and makes a stronger argument in committee to remove the ‘Pelosi policies.’”

Earlier this month, McCarthy told GOP lawmakers the House will likely have to pass a short-term solution known as a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open past the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.  

McCarthy said Sunday he does not believe the House will have enough time to pass all appropriations bills by Sept. 30. 

“I would actually like to have a short term CR, only to make our arguments stronger, because, Maria, if we shut down, all the government shuts down, investigation and everything else. It hurts the American public,” McCarthy said. “But if we’re able to pass our appropriation bills, we’re in a stronger position to remove those … ‘Pelosi policies’ that are locked into law right now — the wokeism, the overspending, the nonsecurity of this border.” 

McCarthy said he wants to go into the spending debate with the “strongest hand.”

“Because over in the Senate, I’m sorry, the Republicans and Democrats are voting 97 percent to spend even higher than what our debt ceiling agreement agreed to,” McCarthy said. 

The conservative House Freedom Caucus said last week it will oppose any stopgap government funding that does not include policy measures in connection with the border, the “weaponization of the Department of Justice” and what they call “woke” policies in the Pentagon.

The Freedom Caucus said its members want any stopgap to “include the House-passed ‘Secure the Border Act of 2023’ to cease the unchecked flow of illegal migrants, combat the evils of human trafficking, and stop the flood of dangerous fentanyl into our communities.” 

The demands are putting pressure on House GOP leaders, who can only risk a handful of votes in their slim majority before relying on Democratic support to pass any bills.