GOP hopes for legislative wins show signs of slipping away |
GOP hopes for legislative wins show signs of slipping away
Some Republicans are growing increasingly worried that the delay in passing a major immigration enforcement funding bill could force them to punt other key priorities, as the party works to lock in as many legislative wins as possible and blunt Democratic momentum ahead of the midterms.
GOP lawmakers are eyeing a third party-line spending package that could bundle funding for the Iran military conflict, defense spending, health care reform, fraud prevention and other initiatives, in an effort to round out their policy agenda heading into the fall. They are hoping to move the package through the budget reconciliation process — the same maneuver they are using for the immigration bill — allowing them to bypass Democratic support.
But with the fight over the immigration enforcement funding bill dragging on, House Republicans acknowledge that the timeline for another reconciliation package is slipping, with just two months left before lawmakers depart for a monthlong recess in August.
And they are pointing the finger at the Senate for the holdup.
Asked whether he thinks the delay in the immigration bill could impact the timeline for reconciliation 3.0, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said, “Absolutely. And I think you’re seeing that on the Senate side because they don’t, they don’t approve of the president, and they’re trying to dislodge him at all costs, and by dislodging him, though, they lose the majority, but they really don’t care about that.”
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) said “it’s possible” that a third reconciliation bill could be stalled.
“There’s only so many legislative days up here, which is why I don’t even understand what the Senate’s over there doing … the other issues you might have, figure that out later. I mean, because that’s what we do over here........