With Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) locked in a race for delegates, Senate Republicans are putting the brakes on a year-end omnibus spending package. there is. The next Senate GOP leader.
Senators thought that pairing it with federal disaster relief could pressure Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to bring a $1 trillion-plus package to the House.
But Senate Republicans’ desire to stymie Johnson with a massive spending bill is waning.
One Senate Republican source said there was “no room” but warned that the political situation could change depending on the election results.
Senate Republicans are increasingly optimistic that former President Trump will win the general election, and few are willing to insult Trump by supporting an omnibus spending package he is likely to oppose.
President Trump made clear in September that he opposed a short-term continuing resolution that would set the stage for lawmakers to pass a massive omnibus package in December. Trump opposed the bill in part because it did not include a bill requiring documented proof of citizenship to register to vote.
Russ Bott, Trump’s former director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), argued that Republican lawmakers should delay fiscal 2025 spending decisions until next year to give the new Trump administration a chance to shape the debate if elected. .
Vought told Voice of Real America in September that Senate Republicans must do everything they can to avoid passing the omnibus in December.
He said, “Lame ducks are what create lame ducks. They create bad policies and wrong bills. One of them is the omnibus bill.” He warned that such a bill would defund the federal government. “I hope for a second term for President Trump,” he said.
“With these big bills, I’m very worried that they might put something in that would tie their hands,” he warned.
Thune and Cornyn are competing for the support of Trump and his conservative colleagues. Senate sources warn that if either candidate supports a year-end omnibus funding package, it could damage their chances of succeeding retiring Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.).
Thune and his wife met Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in March. The Wall Street Journal reported that it was intended to ease tensions in their relationship.
Scott, a Trump ally, has been a vocal critic of the omnibus spending package and is working closely with Senate and House conservatives seeking to reform the budget process.
Endorsing an omnibus that Trump opposes after being elected as the new Senate Republican leader would not be a good way to start a new working relationship if Trump defeats Vice President Harris next month.
Senate Rules Committee Chairman Mike Lee (R-Utah), an influential conservative, has proposed several reforms to Senate GOP conference rules designed to make passing another omnibus very difficult.
In a letter to colleagues circulated last week, he argued that the next Senate Republican leader should propose a structured process and timeline for considering annual spending bills, reducing the likelihood of being locked into a giant omnibus package at the end of the year.
He also suggested that the next Senate Republican leader should give his Senate colleagues at least four weeks to debate and make changes to any omnibus spending bill that reaches the floor.
Another key consideration is Johnson’s future as chairman.
Johnson said he was committed to delivering disaster relief for states hit hard by Hurricanes Helen and Milton, but tried to rule out the possibility of passing another massive omnibus package before Christmas.
Some Senate Democrats thought they could combine it with disaster relief to pressure Johnson to pass an omnibus, but that plan is losing momentum.
“The biggest thing is the Johnson factor,” a Senate Republican aide said. “If they can get (the majority) there, his job depends on not passing the omnibus.”
The aide said there are a “small number” of House Republicans who would threaten to oppose Johnson’s re-election as leader, and that opposition to him would be “insurmountable” if he allowed the omnibus to pass.
Senate Republican leaders have a good working relationship with Johnson and are reluctant to undermine him with an omnibus.
House Republicans said Johnson would support a strong disaster relief package for hurricane victims in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. The package could be paired with another ongoing resolution that would punt annual spending bills to 2025.
House Republican aides reiterated the speaker’s promise to “break with the omnibus governing tradition” and his commitment to “the needs of Americans suffering from hurricane-related disasters.”
Still, aides from both parties have warned that the political calculations on Capitol Hill will largely depend on what happens in the Nov. 5 election.
It is unclear whether Johnson will remain minority leader in the House if Harris defeats Trump and Democrats take the House majority. But he may be under less pressure on omnibus topics.
Trump will also have significantly less influence over Senate Republicans, particularly Thune and Cornyn, if he does not win a second term. He has already announced that he will not run for president in 2028.
There are also strong Republican supporters who call for the annual budget work to be completed before Christmas, rather than deferred to the next Congress.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who is expected to be the next chair of the Appropriations Committee if Republicans take control of the Senate, warned that passing another stopgap measure that would last until March would create a backlog for the president-elect.
“Having a CR beyond December is a mistake because whoever wins the presidential election, we have to give them a clean slate. “We should not be burdened with having to deal with issues for a fiscal year that started in October,” he said in September.
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