History is on repeat as Congress scrambles to pass yet another last-minute, bloated spending bill just before heading off for its Christmas break. This annual tradition of fiscal irresponsibility has conservative lawmakers — and many taxpayers — fuming. Once again, lawmakers are relying on a catch-all spending package to avoid a government shutdown, with little transparency and plenty of special-interest giveaways baked in.
Politico reports that congressional leaders have agreed to extend the government funding deadline to March 14, while tacking on a staggering $100 billion in “emergency” aid for disaster relief. Without this stopgap measure, the federal government would shut down at midnight on Friday. The legislation is expected to be unveiled soon, but House Speaker Mike Johnson hasn’t committed to a 72-hour review period before voting — a slap in the face to those who value transparency and accountability.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged the urgency, saying, “Time is of the essence for Republicans to reach an agreement with us that we can act on quickly.” Translation: hurry up and rubber-stamp this monstrosity before anyone has a chance to read it.
The frustration among conservatives is palpable. Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri, a member of the Freedom Caucus, called the bill “a total dumpster fire” and slammed the irony of celebrating the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) while pushing through more reckless spending. “I think it’s garbage,” he added bluntly.
.@RepEricBurlison on CR: "It's a total dumpster fire. I think it's garbage…Sadly this is happening again. It's shameful that people that celebrate DOGE coming in and yet we're going to vote for another billion dollars to be added to the deficit. It's ironic." pic.twitter.com/8Hpf3owunB
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 17, 2024
Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona didn’t hold back either. “We’re supposed to vote on a continuing resolution which will keep spending money out the wazoo for another three months because we can’t do an annual budget. That’s Congress’s problem,” he said. Biggs rightly pointed out that this perpetual punting exacerbates the structural deficit, sending the national debt spiraling further out of control.
The DC Cartel will attempt to ramrod a short-term omnibus through Congress in the form of a continuing resolution.
Members have yet to see the text of the massive spending package.
The House continues to be derelict in its duty to pass a balanced budget. pic.twitter.com/MbYOJoAEpj
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) December 16, 2024
Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina voiced her frustration on X, writing, “We do this every year … the manufactured ‘government shutdown’ crisis so everyone can get everything into an omnibus or continuing resolution and taking us further into debt.” She’s not wrong — this ritualistic brinkmanship is a gift to lobbyists and special interests, wrapped in a shiny bow of taxpayer dollars.
We do this every year… the manufactured "government shutdown" crisis so everyone can get everything into an omnibus or continuing resolution and taking us further into debt…
DC never lets a good crisis go to waste…
It's so TIRED and PREDICTABLE. https://t.co/yWYOizlsdV
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) December 17, 2024
Sean Davis, CEO of The Federalist, labeled the legislation a “massive K Street Christmas tree omnibus” that caters to Washington insiders. With the national debt surpassing $36 trillion and interest payments alone exceeding $1.1 trillion in 2024 — more than the entire Defense Department budget — it’s clear that the status quo is unsustainable.
Stop calling it a CR. It’s a massive K Street Christmas tree omnibus with giveaways to every special interest in Washington, D.C. https://t.co/iy6C8p5PX5
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) December 17, 2024
Meanwhile, DOGE, headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, aims to cut $2 trillion in annual spending. If Congress doesn’t get its act together, they’ll have their work cut out for them.
BREAKING: Trump says Elon Musk’s DOGE could potentially save $2 trillion by reducing government waste. pic.twitter.com/ikU4N0PBUh
— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) December 16, 2024
Leave a Comment