Top GOP lawmakers in the House of Representatives are looking to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government funded through Jan. 19, while funding the Pentagon through September 2018.
House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen introduced a measure Wednesday that would fully fund the military through the end of the fiscal year — a tactic widely supported by conservatives and defense hawks — while punting nondiscretionary spending to the start of the year will likely face an uphill battle in the Senate, which requires 60 votes for the measure to pass.
Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Charlie Dent said some of his GOP colleagues suffer from “Senate denial,” telling reporters he believes the $621 billion top line defense number will drop while spending will increase in other areas.
“We have to manage expectations better — a lot of our members have an expectation that the Senate will somehow miraculously eat whatever we send them,” Dent said following a GOP conference meeting on spending Wednesday. “And I know some also think that we should just see over the Senate then go home — not a very good idea.”
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said it would be “difficult” for members in the Senate to vote against the measure — which waives automatic cuts to defense funding and temporary cuts non-defense funding — arguing the level of defense spending is necessary as the country faces threats from countries like North Korea.
“I think the Senate would be smart to make sure not to have the threat out there around the world so the men and women are best prepared, especially going forward on the things they need to invest in and they need to change, so I think that is would be best moving forward,” McCarthy told reporters.
GOP Rep. Dave Brat of Virginia — a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus — said Republicans in the lower chamber need to step being steamrolled by the Senate on the priorities they ran on.
“At some point, you’ve got to run on the Republican platform. We need to just firm up what are our red lines with the Senate and have a discussion in public,” Brat said. “You’ve got to involve the American people — you can’t do this inside baseball stuff.”
The stopgap, which will allow members more time to craft an omnibus spending bill, also includes language to continue funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Lawmakers are considering adding provisions providing supplemental funding for disaster relief to the bill in coming days.