Some Republicans are raising concerns.
Senate Republicans anticipate that Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) will eventually need to seek support from House Democrats to avert a government shutdown at the end of the coming week.
According to The Hill, they doubt that McCarthy can rally the entire GOP caucus behind any measure to prevent a shutdown on October 1st and expect him to depend on Democrats to keep federal agencies operational. However, they believe McCarthy will delay reaching across the aisle until the last possible moment to avoid backlash from conservative House members who threaten to challenge his position as Speaker if he doesn’t adhere to their demands for significant spending reductions.
In reality, Senate Republicans argue that the only spending legislation capable of passing both chambers is one with bipartisan backing.
A Republican senator, speaking anonymously about party strategy, commented, “He’s a new Speaker, and this is a test of his leadership. Sooner or later, he’ll need to collaborate with [House Democratic Leader] Hakeem Jeffries [N.Y.] because we’ll pass a Continuing Resolution on our side, but what can pass here won’t garner the support of 218 House Republicans.”
After House Republicans canceled a Tuesday vote due to internal divisions, Senate Republicans now expect the Senate to act first by approving a clean Continuing Resolution (CR). To avoid a government shutdown, this CR would need at least 60 Senate votes and subsequent approval in the House.
In this scenario, McCarthy would indeed require Democratic votes to compensate for a small group of conservatives who vow to oppose any spending bill lacking significant spending cuts or reforms to U.S. asylum law, Department of Justice, and Pentagon policies.
Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) mentioned, “The ultimate outcome will be 218 Republicans and Democrats passing something that doesn’t lean conservative.”
Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a member of the Appropriations Committee, expressed concern about the approaching government funding deadline but hoped for a viable plan.
Additionally, some Republican senators expressed frustration over McCarthy’s inability to pass a procedural rule necessary for approving the annual defense appropriations bill, traditionally a significant achievement for the party.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called the failure to advance the defense bill “very disappointing” and emphasized the importance of well-funded national defense infrastructure.
The defense bill stalled in the House when five conservatives joined Democrats to defeat the necessary rule for the $826 billion measure.
Senate Republicans are growing impatient with McCarthy’s attempts to persuade fellow Republicans to support bills vital for government operation, Pentagon funding, and other priorities.
Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) suggested it might be time for McCarthy to explore “other options,” including seeking votes from across the aisle.
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) deemed the House Freedom Caucus’s demands, such as an 8% cut in discretionary spending outside the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, as unrealistic and unlikely to secure the Senate’s necessary 60 votes.
She emphasized the need for concrete actions to keep the government operational, acknowledging that if the House cannot advance spending bills, the Senate must determine its role to avoid a shutdown.
Another anonymous Republican senator criticized conservative rebels for unfairly targeting Speaker McCarthy to undermine his leadership.
The Senate Republicans’ growing frustration with the House’s internal party strife is shared by House GOP lawmakers, who feel that a small group of conservatives failed to represent conservative values effectively and risk pushing the party into the minority.