News/Commentary

Schumer has high praise for Speaker Mike Johnson as GOP lawmakers fume over funding deal

January 10, 2024 | | Print Article

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) received what many might consider the proverbial kiss of death when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) went out of his way to praise the GOP leader.

Schumer was holding a press conference Tuesday in the wake of a new top-line spending deal being agreed upon and managed to compliment Johnson while taking a shot at other Republicans, namely Donald Trump.

“He’s a very decent, respectful guy, unlike some, who want to be macho and bullying and threatening and all that. He’s not like that,” Schumer said, according to The Hill. “But he’s in a very, very difficult position.”

A spending deal to fund the federal government for the rest of fiscal year 2024 and avoid a partial government shutdown in less than two weeks was announced on Sunday. Johnson informed the GOP caucus of the deal reached with the Democrat-controlled Senate and White House in a “Dear Colleague” letter, calling it “the most favorable budget agreement Republicans have achieved in over a decade.”

“The topline constitutes $1.590 trillion for [fiscal 2024] — the statutory levels of the Fiscal Responsibility Act. That includes $886 billion for defense and $704 billion for nondefense,” the speaker announced in the letter.

Noting that Johnson has “a razor-thin House GOP majority and a tight deadline,” The Hill reported that the “Dear Colleague” letter explained that the spending levels “will not satisfy everyone, and they do not cut as much spending as many of us would like,” while touting clawbacks of IRS funding and a $6.1 billion cut to “COVID-era slush funds.”

President Biden was quick to endorse the deal.

ADVERTISEMENT

“It reflects the funding levels that I negotiated with both parties and signed into law last spring. It rejects deep cuts to programs hardworking families count on, and provides a path to passing full-year funding bills that deliver for the American people and are free of any extreme policies,” Biden said.

Meanwhile, foreign nationals continue to invade America by the millions, threatening to topple some of the nation’s largest cities.

Johnson will have his hands full getting the needed votes from his caucus. The House Freedom Caucus rejected the deal, calling it a “total failure” in a tweet. Speaking of kisses of death, the speaker may have to depend on Democrat votes to pass the spending deal, much like his predecessor Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

U.S Reps Margorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Chip Roy (R-TX) were emphatic “NO’s,” as seen here:

ADVERTISEMENT

And they were far from alone. Below is a sampling from X of other Republican lawmakers who are denouncing the deal, with many insisting on securing the wide-open southern border:

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Tom Tillison
Latest posts by Tom Tillison (see all)

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.

Latest Articles