CNN
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Tensions are high at the House Republican caucus Barrels toward a government shutdownInternal party squabbles spill into the public eye and grow increasingly ugly.
“It’s nonsense,” New York Rep. Mike Lawler addressed the spending demands of GOP hardliners, a Republican freshman who personally introduced a new plan to work with Democrats to force the government to stay open after Sept. 30.
At the center of much of the drama: Republican Rep. Matt Gates of Florida is personally attacking Speaker Kevin McCarthy. But he’s also engaged in social media battles with fellow hardline conservatives The House GOP helped broker the plan The government funding was first revealed on Sunday evening.
Representative from Florida Republican Party. Byron Donalds responded to Getz’s criticism of the project, writing on social media: “Matt, tell people the truth. … What is your plan to get votes to cheat Jack Smith? You need more than tweets and hot tags!!”
A conservative representative from Texas who helped broker the deal. Chip Roy, on a conservative radio show, also criticized the hardliners’ opposition: “I don’t know if we’re going to get votes or not, because I’ve got one vote. Many conservative friends beat their chests and say, ‘Oh, this is not enough.’ ”
Even if the plan passes the House, it will die in the Democratic-controlled Senate. But McCarthy will need support from all of his conferences to broker a deal through a narrowly divided House. Without relying on Democrats, McCarthy could only lose four GOP votes in a continuing resolution deal.
Meanwhile, Indiana Republican Rep. Sports Victoria, in a statement on Monday, criticized McCarthy as “weak” and said they needed party leadership willing to fight for the country, not “for power and a picture on the wall”.
In response, McCarthy told reporters: “One thing I’ve learned in life: Nobody who criticizes you has ever worked harder than you. If Victoria cares about fighting strong, I want her to run again and not quit. I mean, I’m not quitting. I will continue to work for the American people.
Sports, previously announced She will not seek re-electionHe responded on social media Monday evening: “I wish @SpeakerMcCarthy would work harder to collect the checks, but his wish may come true.”
Getz also took to social media to call McCarthy’s comments “disgraceful” and accused the speaker of “attacking” women.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia has been forceful in pushing back on her GOP colleagues who support the government funding program. He released a lengthy video rebutting Donalds, who called Green’s understanding of the bill “wrong.”
Green has blasted flamboyant social media posts — and “Shrek” memes — in support of Ukraine funding and criticized her colleagues for wearing Ukraine pins to show support for the war-torn nation. Getz also appeared to mock McCarthy for wearing the Ukraine pin, posting a picture of the speaker wearing it, which Arizona Republican Rep. Eli Crane shared.
And the ongoing feud between Gates and Rep. Dave Joyce continued Monday, with the moderate Ohio Republican calling Gates “a special person.”
“I mean, in how many years has he been here, what has he accomplished besides running his mouth?” Joyce told reporters as he left McCarthy’s office.
When Joyce criticized past shutdowns on CNN, Gaetz took to social media to rail against Joyce’s campaign donations, saying they didn’t work properly.
The chaotic infighting shows the challenge McCarthy faces as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits Capitol Hill this week, working to win votes to avoid a government shutdown, protect his right to free speech and juggle the tricky optics of Ukraine funding.
A Republican representative from Arkansas. Steve Womack summed up the situation on NBC’s “MTP Daily” on Monday: “It’s an unmitigated disaster on the part of the majority.”
As he left a meeting in McCarthy’s office, Donalds, weighing in on the infighting, told reporters, “Sometimes politics can be brutal. That’s part of it.”
“But you know, that’s why I have Kevlar skin. I don’t have thick skin, it’s Kevlar,” Donalds said while wearing a pair of black aviator sunglasses inside the house. “So, if you want to bring attacks, bring it. I’m ready.”
Tensions have been simmering since Republicans returned from a six-week hiatus. Getz took his criticism of McCarthy to the House floor, using a process to threaten to oust the California Republican from his speakership. called a motion to vacate. McCarthy held a heated closed-door conference call last Thursday.
“Move the f***ing movement,” he said. According to four sources in the room.
On Monday evening, McCarthy sounded a more optimistic tone after meeting with his congressional Republicans, colloquially referred to around Capitol Hill as the “Five Families.”
“I’m always more optimistic! Life is good,” McCarthy told reporters after the meeting when asked if he was more optimistic.
As frustrations — and the prospect of a government shutdown — grow, some Republicans are exploring a Plan B.
Moderate Republicans are privately discussing working with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown if a House GOP plan to temporarily fund the government fails this week, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions.
The idea was raised during several leadership meetings at the Capitol on Monday evening. During a House GOP whip caucus, Lawler told his colleagues he was willing to support a so-called discharge petition — a practical means to avoid a vote on a bill and the leadership — if Republicans were to move a short-term spending bill. Plan the stalls.
During a meeting in McCarthy’s office with members of the elected leadership, another New York Republican, Rep. Andrew Carbarino said the caucus is talking about moving a temporary funding bill with Democrats if other members don’t want to act.
Lawler vented his frustration at his hard-line colleagues opposing the plan to fund the government for a month, calling it a “clown show”.
“I wouldn’t even call them on my right. It’s not conservative Republicanism. It’s nonsense. The idea that we’re going to shut down the government when we don’t control the Senate, we don’t control the White House,” Lawler said.
“I was chosen to rule. That’s what I’m going to do. So, if some of my colleagues choose to put their own interests above that of the country, I will do what is necessary to ensure that the government does what is necessary to operate and is funded.
However, a discharge petition will take time to move through the House, and it is unclear whether it will succeed before a government funding deadline at the end of the month. If all Democrats sign the petition, the initiative will only take five Republicans to join forces to succeed.
Sources said the idea is also being discussed among top Democrats.
The House Problem Solvers Caucus is developing an outline for a bipartisan plan to fund the government that would temporarily extend current spending levels and include disaster aid, Ukraine funding and some border security provisions, according to a source familiar with the talks.
The idea is expected to be brought up to Tuesday’s caucus meeting, and the group, which is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, could take an official position on it.
This article and story has been updated with more information.
