According to Politico, House Republicans face a “grueling week” as they attempt to reconcile rampant internal differences over several pieces of legislation. On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson hopes to push through an extension of a government spy bill. On Wednesday, lawmakers will attempt to finally end a Department of Homeland Security funding shutdown. Then on Thursday, they round out the week by voting on a farm bill that could prove “key to midterm victories” in November.
“Each legislative undertaking is deeply complicated and rife with intraparty warfare,” writes Politico, “from a MAHA revolt over the farm bill to a rebellion from ultraconservatives who blocked Johnson’s last bid to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and could do so again.” At the same time, some Republicans are angered by the current DHS proposal as it only funds immigration enforcement, with hardliners pushing for a more comprehensive spending bill. And all of this is complicated by the attempted attack on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, which has some GOP lawmakers tying their votes to approval of funding for Trump’s proposed ballroom.
“The speaker will need nearly every Republican to advance all three of these critical items that hold enormous political and policy consequences,” explains Politico. “None are guaranteed to survive the week.”
“It’s going to be a circus,” one Republican warned.
Republicans are arguing over key aspects of each piece of legislation. The spy bill reauthorization faces opposition from those who are firmly against the government’s use of warrantless surveillance, and who want the inclusion of a ban on a central bank digital currency. The farm bill has angered those under the Make America Healthy Again umbrella due to language that shields pesticide makers from lawsuits. As for DHS funding, Republicans have struggled to put together a package that would both skirt Democratic threats of a filibuster over a desire to rein in ICE, and meet GOP demands for a more robust spending plan. Now, these DHS efforts have been further complicated as some are linking it to Trump’s ballroom construction project.
“Any consideration of DHS reconciliation instructions this week & beyond should provide for construction of a secure ballroom on White House grounds,” Representative Chip Roy (R-TX) posted over the weekend.
To make matters even more complicated, some Republicans have signaled that if they don’t get their way on one bill, they will vote against the others. “They’re all connected,” said one House Republican of the three pieces of legislation.
Another warned that it will be “the week from hell.”