A government shutdown was avoided this past weekend when House Speaker Kevin McCarthy brought a bipartisan stopgap spending bill to the floor. The move frustrated hardline Republicans who are pushing for deep spending cuts and better border security in any Congressional funding agreement.
As a result, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz intends to file a ‘motion to vacate’ against Speaker McCarthy this week. Gaetz believes the Speaker has made too many deals with Democrats and the White House.
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“It’s going to be difficult for my Republican colleagues to keep calling President Biden feeble while he continues to take Speaker McCarthy’s lunch money in every negotiation,” Gaetz said.
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For McCarthy to survive that threat, he will likely need the help of Democrats in the House. Some lawmakers, like Massachusetts Rep. Jack Auchincloss, say any decision requires careful consideration.
“We have to evaluate it development by development and react to reality, not to conjecture,” he said, adding that whatever steps Democrats take will need to be agreed upon by the entire conference.
“What's really critical is that Democrats, wherever we happen to sit in the boat, are rowing in the same direction, because that gives us maximum leverage for negotiating things that can advance our values and priorities,” Auchincloss said.
Meanwhile, the government shutdown clock has been extended to Nov. 17, leaving lawmakers just six weeks to find a long term funding compromise.
