Sunday shows preview: Congress reacts to government funding drama

The passage of a continuing resolution to keep the government temporarily funded will likely be the focus of this week’s Sunday news shows. 

Conflict around government funding has focused on GOP infighting between Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and a group of hard-line conservatives, notably Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.).

Gaetz will take center stage as the only guest on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, as well as appear on ABC’s “This Week.”

The Florida congressman had been the most vocal opponent to McCarthy’s attempts to fund the government, demanding that the speaker pass the 12 federal appropriations bills separately and in their entirety, without a temporary funding measure to keep the government working in the meantime.

On Friday, Gaetz pinned the then-potential shutdown entirely on McCarthy.

“It is by design that Kevin McCarthy brought us to this moment, to put our backs against the wall as part of shutdown politics,” Gaetz said in a CNBC interview Friday.

“I am concerned that he hasn’t been true to a deal he made to become Speaker of the House,” he said. “We made him agree to spending guardrails. He has blown through those guardrails, and even worse, Kevin McCarthy has made multiple contradictory promises to the White House, to appropriators, to House conservatives.”

Gaetz has also been the principal driver of efforts to remove McCarthy as speaker, sparking theories that Democrats could swoop in to save him from rising displeasure in the thin majority of the GOP caucus.

House Republicans also began their impeachment inquiry into President Biden on Thursday. Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) claimed to show “evidence” of wrongdoing by the president on Thursday but was unable to defend it amid questions from reporters about its validity.

Rep. Byron Donalds also participated in the hearing, showing text messages to witnesses and implying that Democrats were attempting to protect the president.

Smith will appear on “Sunday Morning Futures” while Donalds will appear on “Fox News Sunday.”

Despite the focus on Congress, the 2024 election will also take time on the shows. The race’s second debate was in California on Wednesday night, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley had the best performance amid an event that moderators struggled to control.

Haley will be on “Fox News Sunday.” Fellow GOP candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) will be on “Sunday Morning Futures.”

Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this week’s Sunday talk shows:

ABC’s “This Week” — Shalanda Young, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget; Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Preempted by coverage of golf’s Ryder Cup.

CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.); Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.); former Defense Secretary Mark Esper; Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG.

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Gaetz.

“Fox News Sunday” — Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and French Hill (R-Ark.); Sen. Joe Manchin, (D-W.V.); Nikki Haley, a Republican presidential candidate.

“Sunday Morning Futures” — Reps. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.); Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), a Republican presidential candidate; former Trump advisor Stephen Miller; Breitbart News editor Alex Marlow.

This story was updated at 11:20 pm.