House GOP Representatives Slammed for Ridiculous Approach To Avoiding a Government Shutdown

Michelle HollandNov 19, 2023

Minute Read

America has officially avoided a government shutdown, but with Republicans in the House of Representatives still unable to agree on a budget to send to the Democratic-controlled Senate, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) was forced to resort to the move that got his predecessor expelled from the role — a laddered continuing resolution.

The Good News

The good news is this — the government isn’t shutting down, which means federally funded departments will continue to be financed for the time being. The bad news is that no budget has been passed yet — House Majority Republicans are unable to agree on what to include in the yearly spending bill.

Lack of Compromise

Far-right members of the GOP have been angling for more extreme slashes in funding to public services, whereas more moderate Republicans are hoping for less dramatic cuts that the Democrats are likely to compromise on.

The Continuing Resolution

Since House Republicans were divided, Johnson was forced to rely on the Democrats to pass a clean continuing resolution with no spending cuts in order to ensure the government stays funded until after the holidays, when discussions can resume.

History Repeats

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Ironically, this is the same action that former House Speaker McCarthy took in September, which ultimately resulted in his expulsion from the role. So far, Johnson has not been catching the same heat, largely because Republicans believe he inherited a mess that McCarthy caused.

The Yearly Budget

House Republicans have received widespread backlash for their approach of threatening government shutdowns and passing continuing resolutions to put off setting the yearly budget, which deals with bigger spending issues. This method could even be sustained until the presidential election in 2024 if the GOP desires.

Two Potential Shutdowns

As well as this, the continuing resolution groups government agencies into two different deadlines, meaning that two separate government shutdowns could occur if no budget is passed. Funding for the Pentagon and veterans expires on January 19, whereas funds are extended for the State, Justice, and Health and Human Services department until February 2.

Lawmakers Hit Back

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Certain Senators have criticized the House’s scheme, with Patty Murray (D-WA) calling it “the craziest, stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.” Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) similarly admitted that she had “a lot of reservations” about the plan, explaining that “you’d have to go through the threat of shutdowns of part of [the] government over and over again.”

White House Condemnation

Additionally, the White House called it an “unserious proposal.” Despite this, the continuing resolution is considered clean and is sans many of the problematic aspects that had been proposed for the budget — such as reducing Cabinet officials’ salaries to just $1.

What Happens Next

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Lawmakers now get to go home and take the holidays off before negotiations resume. It’s highly unlikely that the far-right House Representatives holding the budget hostage will ultimately get their way, but they will likely be blamed for any subsequent shutdown.

“Truly Absurdist Comedy”

People took to the internet to blast House Republicans for their inability to do their jobs; even self-proclaimed conservatives joined in on the pile-on. One Republican commenter wrote: “Truly absurdist comedy. Republicans going through all of that sound and fury and literally pass a clean spending bill without any cuts, not even mild cuts they could have probably forced the Democrats hands to accept.”

Ongoing Consequences

A GOP critic commented, “Remember that this is going to be a perpetual state of shutdown. They could plan for the whole year and instead they want “pets” for each increment.” Another person added, “It’s so infuriating. This whole thing is like a game for them, this is about people’s livelihoods here.”

Johnson’s Position

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On House Speaker Johnson, one person speculated: “Tomorrow the MAGA Congress members are going to kick him out of the speaker position.” Someone else disagreed: “Johnson will be fine because he’s one of them. They never liked McCarthy and were looking for any excuse to pull the trigger,” referring to Johnson’s far-right, Christian Nationalist views.

The Perfect Speaker

Another contributor concurred that Johnson’s Trump support was earning him leeway with far-right Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy. “He just endorsed Trump, doesn’t believe in the separation of church and state, and is willing to do anything to consolidate power for the Republican Party. He’s perfect for them,” they explained.

No Aid for Ukraine

Several people denounced the continuing resolution for its lack of aid for Ukraine. “Johnson really came through for Putin and Jesus. Yay for not helping independent states fight for their autonomy! Yay for war!” one poster declared.

Defending the CR

Someone else countered, “Aid packages need to be their own subjects for debates. Tying so many things to the budget talks is part of how we got to the point where we keep doing this. A clean CR with no cuts is the perfect outcome.” Other people were relieved that Israel did not receive any funding for its continued onslaught on Gaza.

Republican Incompetency

Many forum users criticized Republicans for wasting time and refusing to get on with their jobs. One forum member said: “Republicans are absolutely domestic terrorists. They are also children who do not know how to govern. They lack professionalism and use bullying tactics and name calling that I would expect of a 6th grader.”

Weaponizing Shutdowns

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Others observed that it’s a common Republican tactic to weaponize shutdowns, with one individual noting: “Republicans had a shutdown when they controlled the House, Senate, and with Trump as President,” adding that “they love it.” Another reminded people of when “Trump shut the government down trying to fund his wall,” whereas someone insisted people should “know that ‘weaponizing the shutdown’ is a direct mandate from Trump.”