Defense hawks oppose House GOP's six-month CR plan
House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) Plan B for a stopgap federal spending bill is a no-go if it still includes a six-month time frame, according to GOP defense hawks.
“If it goes past December 31, I’m not voting for it,” House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) told The Hill on Wednesday.
House GOP leaders earlier Wednesday pulled their six-month stopgap funding plan hours ahead of a scheduled floor vote amid opposition from defense hawks, hard-line conservatives and moderates.
Johnson appeared ready to press forward with a vote on his funding plan, which links a six-month continuing resolution (CR) with a bill backed by former President Trump that would require proof of citizenship to vote.
But at least 12 Republicans made it known they would not vote for the legislation, including Rogers, sinking the bill’s chances.
Johnson said they’ll delay the vote until next week as they work to “build consensus.”
Now GOP defense hawks, who worry about the impact of not increasing funding for the Pentagon, say they want to see a shorter CR in the next iteration of Johnson’s plan.
“I'm not putting any pressure on [Johnson]. I've just told him that I will agree to CR ... but I won't explore anything that goes past December 31,” Rogers said when asked about conversations on the Speaker’s Plan B.
House Armed Services Committee Vice Chair Rob Wittman (R-Va.) said the longer the CR goes into the next year, “the more problematic it becomes” for U.S. defense.
“The bottom line is we want to do what's best for the nation's defense,” he told The Hill. “We just want to make sure [Johnson] understands that ... I want to make sure that we're all part of getting something done.”
He added on the CR: “Our effort is to just to make it as short as possible, because that minimizes the impact on defense.”
Asked whether any CR that goes past three months would be a no-go for him, Wittman replied that he doesn't have "any lines in the sand" and that its “a pretty dynamic situation.”
And Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), who oversees the Pentagon’s budget, said Monday that while he was prepared to back Johnson, he didn't like the six-month time frame as it “inhibits” the Defense Department.
“It’s the largest enterprise in the world,” he said of the U.S. military. “You can't run that under that [six-month] period of time.”
The Pentagon has also vehemently opposed any long-term CR, with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over the weekend sending letters to top House and Senate appropriations leaders arguing such a bill would impose a “litany of difficulties” on the military.
Austin said an extended version of the temporary measure would “set us significantly behind” in meeting the challenges from China and the ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East.
The letters are notable as the Pentagon typically has to endure a CR that lasts several months, given that lawmakers have failed to finalize the military appropriations bill all but one time since 2011 — in fiscal 2019. But in that same time frame, the Defense Department has not had stopgap funding that lasts longer than three months.
Congressional deadlock over fiscal 2024 funding kept the government on a CR well past that deadline, impacting Defense operations until it was fully funded last March.
For fiscal 2025, the Pentagon has requested a $849.8 billion budget, arguing that operating under those levels once the Sept. 30 deadline has passed impacts an array of programs, services and projects.
What’s more, failing to pass appropriations bills by Jan. 1 triggers a limitation set by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, reached between President Biden and House Republicans last year.
Under that act, failure to pass full government funding by January will start a process to reduce the discretionary spending limits for national security by 1 percent below fiscal 2023 levels. Austin said that could force the Pentagon to lose $42 billion from the 2025 budget request.
The pressure campaign from the Defense Department as well as defense hawks is increasing the likelihood that House Republicans will wind up with a three-month CR backed by Democrats and the White House.
Lawmakers have until Sept. 30 to agree upon a short-term extension for the federal dollars or risk shuttering nonessential tasks within the Pentagon, in addition to dozens of government agencies.
Date: |
-
CBS News - Top stories
House GOP moving forward with partisan plan to avert shutdown
Speaker Mike Johnson said the House would vote Wednesday on a measure to keep the government funded that includes voting legislation Democrats oppose.3 hours ago -
Politico - Politics
Johnson plans to bring House GOP short-term spending measure to House floor Wednesday
4 hours ago -
Politico - Politics
House Republicans set to gather as six-month funding patch roadblocks grow
September 10 - Republican Party -
Politico - Politics
Johnson forced to delay vote on stopgap funding plan as GOP opposition rises
6 days ago -
Politico - Politics
GOP opposition stacks up against Johnson’s spending plan
September 9 -
NBC News - Politics
House to vote on Speaker Johnson's funding plan as shutdown looms
Speaker Mike Johnson said House Republicans will vote again on a six-month bill to avoid a government shutdown linked to Trump's citizenship voting bill.3 hours ago -
Politico - Politics
House Republicans prepare doomed 6-month stopgap funding patch
September 9 - Republican Party -
Yahoo Sports - Sports
Fantasy Football Week 3 Rankings: Defense
The fantasy football experts of Yahoo Fantasy reveal their Week 3 defense rankings to kick off the 2024 season.42 minutes ago - Fantasy Football -
The New York Times - World
Israel’s Netanyahu Considers Firing Defense Minister Gallant in Government Shakeup
Dismissing the minister, Yoav Gallant, would remove a prominent voice of disagreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.7 hours ago - Israel -
The Wall Street Journal - World
Netanyahu Allies Make the Case for Firing Israel's Defense Minister
Sacking Yoav Gallant would remove the anchor of Israel’s relationship with the U.S. and a fierce advocate of a cease-fire in Gaza.2 hours ago - Israel
More from The Hill
-
The Hill - Politics
Prosecutors seeking to keep Sean Combs in prison ahead of trial
Federal prosecutors are urging a Manhattan court to keep defendant Sean “Diddy” Combs in detention ahead of his trial, calling him a flight risk and a “significant risk” to obstruction of justice. ...24 minutes ago -
The Hill - Politics
Watch live: Harris speaks with NABJ reporters in Philadelphia
Vice President Harris, the democratic presidential nominee, is slated to answer questions Tuesday from National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) members in Philadelphia. Tuesday's forum is ...47 minutes ago - Kamala Harris -
The Hill - Politics
Putin’s attempt to destroy Ukraine's nationhood backfired
Ukrainians are no longer a ragtag bunch of people thrown together by fate.47 minutes ago - Ukraine -
The Hill - Politics
Hezbollah leaders killed, thousands of people injured in pager explosions in Lebanon, Syria
Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded in Lebanon and parts of Syria on Tuesday, killing several people, including members of the militant group Hezbollah, and wounding thousands, officials said. ...54 minutes ago -
The Hill - Politics
Billie Eilish endorses Harris: 'Vote like your life depends on it'
Billie Eilish is the latest high-profile entertainer to back Vice President Harris's White House bid, urging her fans to "vote like your life depends on it." "We are voting for Kamala Harris and ...1 hour ago