The House Freedom Caucus, the influential group of about 30 or so conservative lawmakers has announced its opposition to the budget deal struck yesterday in the Senate. Senate leaders, Republican Mitch McConnell and Democrat Chuck Schumer announced a budget deal that would keep the government funded for two years and raise spending levels by about $300 billion.
The caucus released their official position in a tweet yesterday evening, highlighting their main criticism – increased spending levels.
Official position: HFC opposes the caps deal. We support funding our troops, but growing the size of government by 13 percent is not what the voters sent us here to do.
— House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) February 8, 2018
In addition to raising spending by about $300 billion the deal also increases the debt limit so that it will not be met until after the midterm elections. The spending increases are not offset by spending cuts, something House conservatives say they wanted.
Many conservatives expressed disappointment that a bill with such contours could get the support of House Speaker Paul Ryan, himself a fiscal conservative. “[I]… never thought the Speaker would go here with these high numbers,” said Rep. Jim Jordan, a founder of the Freedom Caucus.
Party leadership, on both sides of the aisle, expressed optimism that a deal would get done and that a bill would be on the President’s desk by Thursday night, in time to avoid a government shutdown though.