‘The final straw’: GOP senators TURNED on Leader Mitch McConnell over $1.7 trillion bipartisan spending bill, saying the GOP ‘got our you-know-what’ it handed us’ by passing the omnibus
Republican Senators Mike Lee of Utah and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin made comments on New York’s conservative radio show ‘Cats Roundtable’ on Christmas Day.
All of the Democrats and 18 Republicans in the Senate voted to approve the spending deal.
Johnson and Lee were among the Republicans who wanted talks delayed until January.
At that point, the Republicans would control the House of Representatives.
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A pair of Republican senators strongly denounced Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Sunday after he helped push through a $1.7 trillion ‘omnibus’ spending bill to keep the government funded through September 2023.
Eighteen Senate Republicans voted with Democrats to approve the funding package, which includes tax victories for both parties. Many on the right who voted in favor made it clear that it was not the fiscal agenda they preferred, but they believed it was necessary for the military and other critical aspects of government to run smoothly.
But talks about the priority of federal spending have divided the Republican Party. Many on the right have opposed working with the Democrats on where the government will spend the money next year.
Speaking to the Cats Roundtable on WABC on Sunday, Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin criticized McConnell for not waiting until early next year, when Republicans control the House, to discuss long-term spending. .
Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (seen showing off his University of Louisville sweater on the way to the Senate on December 22) has been facing pushback from conservatives inside his conference on the bipartisan spending deal.
The Utah senator warned that McConnell’s approval of bipartisan funding talks was “the last straw” and called for “different” circumstances in the new Congress.
Johnson, meanwhile, claimed the Republicans “gave us what they already know” with the final omnibus despite McConnell defending his foreign policy results as Republican victories.
“Our leadership turned against the Republican voters, it turned against the Republican base, it turned against the majority of the Republican senators,” Lee told radio host John Catsimatidis.
It’s happened before, but this is one too many times. For me, this is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
He added: “Things are going to have to be very, very different when we come back next year.”
Lee held particular ire for Republican senators who did not vote on his omnibus amendment that would have extended Title 42’s border removal policy, or risk defunding the Department of Homeland Security.
‘This is yet another example of how badly it was screwed up by the Republicans who voted for this. They killed our last chance to save the border,’ said the Utah conservative.
‘Something is terribly wrong with the direction taken by the Senate Republican leadership here. There will have to be consequences.
Johnson called the $1.7 trillion deal “grotesque” and an “abomination.”
Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee (left) and Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson (right) have been among the most vocal opponents of the omnibus bill.
“We should have allowed the House to go into the next Congress with the Republican majority we had” before negotiating a spending deal, the Wisconsin Republican said.
He claimed it was “arrogance” that caused McConnell and the broader Republican leadership to ignore calls by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy to delay talks on the spending bill until his expected House presidency. Chamber next year.
“They said we know we know more than the members of the House, we’re going to pass this and get it off your plate,” Johnson said.
‘I’m not buying it. And luckily our fans won’t believe it either.’
McConnell said of the bill earlier this month: “This is an impressive result for the Republican negotiators, and more importantly, it’s the result our country needs.”
‘To continue helping Ukraine and our other friends; keep innovating and surpassing Russia and China; and keep our brave men and women in uniform equipped with the best training, tools and technologies the world has ever seen,’ she said.
The bill includes more defense spending than President Joe Biden had originally requested, including $45 billion in aid to Ukraine to defend against invasion by Russia.
But on Sunday, Johnson likened the GOP’s celebrations of bus defense dollars to “a football team that just lost the game 60-nil, and they kick a field goal in the final seconds, and they say the field goal was a great win.”
“We just got our you-know-what delivered,” Johnson said.
‘Over the past two years, the Democrats have spent trillions of dollars. Now there’s no doubt about it: His excess partisan spending caused inflation. The Republicans are not helping matters by voting for more deficit spending.’