Behind the scenes feud exposes Republicans squabbling as time runs out

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) speak at the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas, U.S., September 10, 2026.

With time running out ahead of the midterm elections, Republicans in Congress are "clashing" over how exactly to address the major economic issues voters care about most, per a new report from The Hill.

On Monday, The Hill cited conversations with various Republican lawmakers in Washington, in which they appeared to be "clashing over how to improve their weak polling numbers on the economy less than two months before Election Day," with fears mounting that persistent "high costs" for consumers could sink their congressional majorities. In particular, the lawmakers appeared split on how, if at all, they should carry out President Donald Trump's questionable new promise to pay every American adult $5,000 if the GOP prevails in November.

"Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas) says he would support the idea if the $5,000 payout is structured as a tax refund, but he warned that it should only go to people who work and pay taxes," the report detailed.

“I think we should be incentivizing work. I don’t think we should be paying people that are not working,” Cruz explained to the outlet.

Meanwhile, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, widely recognized as one of the most vulnerable Republicans this cycle, called the proposal "extraordinarily costly" and questioned why they should be spending so much to send money to some people who might not be in need of help.

All the while, The Hill explained further, many Republicans "are pushing for quick action" to notch an economic win in the short time left before the midterms.

"Some Republicans are pushing for quick action on other legislation to address costs, such as passing the stalled farm bill or capping credit card fees, but there’s little time to do anything before Election Day," the report added. "A Senate Republican strategist said there’s growing alarm among Republicans in Congress that the economic picture is not going to improve between now and Election Day, setting off a scramble among GOP candidates to pitch more ideas to bring down costs."

"Affordability and the war in Iran are going to continue on. They’re tied to each other. As long as the war in Iran continues, we will have high energy prices that will bleed over to consumers,” the anonymous strategist said. “It just is a bad recipe.”

Republicans are also squabbling over ways to address soaring gas prices, which have once again hit historic levels as Trump's Iran war continues. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has suggested a suspension of the 18-cent federal gas tax to provide immediate relief, but some of his colleagues expressed doubt at cutting off such vital funds.

"I hate taxes, I wish that there weren’t a gas tax but I also like driving on the road," Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said. "It’s a huge amount of money that just quits coming in."

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