Republicans losing faith in Johnson to score wins on conservative priorities during government shutdown fight

Some inside the House GOP are rising more and more uncertain that Republicans will score any conservative coverage victories on points like abortion, inexperienced power, pupil mortgage forgiveness, and stopping organic males from competing towards ladies in highschool sports activities.

When House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., launched the small print of a bipartisan plan to fund the government earlier this yr, he did so with the promise that it units House Republicans up with extra time to fight for the inclusion of conservative insurance policies in no matter spending deal they attain.

But Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital mentioned the controversy over together with such insurance policies is, at greatest, at present at an deadlock.

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“I think that that is what’s the sticking point right now, that we are fighting for those and the opposition is fighting just as hard against them,” one GOP lawmaker shut to the appropriations course of informed Fox News Digital.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) speaks to reporters as he leaves a House Republican candidates discussion board the place congressmen who’re operating for Speaker of the House introduced their platforms in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill on Oct. 23, 2023 in Washington, DC.  (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

When requested how he thinks negotiations are going, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., bluntly informed Fox News Digital, “I don’t think it’s going well.”

“My position with both Speaker McCarthy and Speaker Johnson was that we should cut spending as much as we can in the House…the Senate wants more money, so you’re buying policy,” Donalds mentioned. “Securing the border, in my view, is the only possible policy victory attainable, and we should be doing everything we can to make that happen.”

Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., unveiled an settlement to have appropriators work towards FY 2024 funding ranges at a most discretionary price range of roughly $1.66 trillion. 

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In a Jan. 7 letter to House GOP colleagues, Johnson conceded that subsequent yr’s price range forecast was not for spending as little as members on his proper flank wished. But argued the plan “does provide us a path to: 1) move the process forward; 2) reprioritize funding within the topline towards conservative objectives, instead of last year’s Schumer-Pelosi omnibus; and 3) fight for the important policy riders included in our House FY24 bills.”

It was all the time going to be an uphill battle for GOP leaders to ship on these wins, with only a slim, three-seat House majority and Democrats controlling the Senate and White House. But Republicans are nonetheless pressuring Johnson to ship, even on measures Democrats have deemed nonstarters.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., discusses subsequent steps for the overseas support bundle for Ukraine and Israel on the day after the bipartisan Senate border safety invoice collapsed, on the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The House Freedom Caucus reminded Johnson of that promise in a Wednesday memo demanding extra data on the standing of these talks and outlining a number of coverage calls for, together with lowering Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ wage to $0 and banning using Pentagon {dollars} to fund journey to get an abortion.

Other coverage targets listed embrace blocking President Joe Biden’s progressive coverage agendas push in direction of on inexperienced power and pupil mortgage forgiveness – and tradition struggle gadgets like banning transgender youth born male from competing on ladies’ sports activities groups.

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The memo to Johnson then forged doubt on the House GOP’s skill to attain these coverage targets, with the conservative group warning, “If we are not going to secure significant policy changes or even keep spending below the caps adopted by bipartisan majorities less than one year ago, why would we proceed when we could instead pass a year-long funding resolution that would save Americans $100 billion in year one? “I do not know if [House Republican negotiators] are actually combating,” a senior House GOP aide said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said a “formal impeachment inquiry vote on the ground will enable [Republicans] to take it to the subsequent vital step.” (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Calls positioned to Johnson’s workplace in search of remark weren’t returned. 

Under a plan negotiated by Johnson late final yr and prolonged in January, the final Congress’s government funding ranges for some departments expires on March 1, whereas others run out on March 8. If a deal will not be reached in time, the government dangers falling right into a partial shutdown.