Conservative Opposition Fails to Deter Kevin McCarthy's Determination to Uphold Negotiated Funding Deal

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy expressed his commitment to the short-term government funding agreement, which was reached by the members of the House Freedom Caucus and Main Street Caucus. Despite concerns raised by several conservative members who expressed their opposition to the deal, McCarthy asserted that he is not prepared to abandon it. He questioned whether these members have thoroughly read and understood the agreement, emphasizing the importance of allowing them to fully comprehend its contents before making any decisions. McCarthy shared his thoughts with CNN on Monday.

CNN reported on Sunday that a group of six Republican members, consisting of three members from the conservative House Freedom Caucus and three members from the centrist-leaning Main Street Caucus, dedicated their weekend to finalizing a preliminary agreement on a short-term spending plan. This plan is intended to secure support from Republicans across the board. It is crucial for McCarthy, the Republican leader, that he does not lose more than four votes on a continuing resolution deal without depending on Democratic votes. Raising concerns about the deal, several members, namely Reps. Eli Crane of Arizona, Cory Mills of Florida, Matt Gaetz of Florida, and Dan Bishop of North Carolina, took to Twitter to express their opposition on Sunday evening.

When asked about the potential difficulty in gaining Senate approval for the deal, McCarthy acknowledged the challenge, expressing his readiness for it. He emphasized that each day leading up to September 30, when government funding is set to expire, would pose its own set of obstacles.

According to GOP sources who spoke with CNN on Sunday, the agreement involves combining a 31-day continuing resolution with a border security package passed by the House GOP. However, the provision on E-Verify, a national immigration status database, would not be included in the bill.

In addition, the short-term spending bill includes some spending cuts instead of maintaining current funding levels. The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs would receive continued funding, while other agencies would experience an approximately 8% reduction in funding.

The bill does not include the White House's $40 billion supplemental funding request for natural disasters and the war in Ukraine, an addition that Senate leaders from both parties are advocating for in any temporary funding bill.

McCarthy announced on Monday that he intends to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his visit to the Capitol this week. However, he has no intention of having Zelensky brief the House Republican Conference.

Leadership from both parties in the Senate has invited the president to attend an all-Senate meeting at the Capitol as they advocate for Ukraine aid. However, McCarthy, the Senate Minority Leader, stated that Ukraine aid will not be added to the government funding legislation in the House. Additionally, he justified his choice to exclude additional funding for disaster relief from any funding legislation. McCarthy argued that by passing stopgap legislation, the Disaster Relief Fund of FEMA would receive a $20 billion refund.

"That would provide assistance to states like Florida, California, Vermont, and Hawaii who are facing disasters, enabling them to access necessary resources," McCarthy stated.

Inquired about any discussions with Senate leadership regarding their funding initiatives, McCarthy mentioned that he had spoken to McConnell towards the end of last week. This conversation took place after the Senate's attempts to progress with their version of three appropriations bills were hindered by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin impeding the process.

"After the Senate's failure last week, I conversed with McConnell to gain an understanding of their future course," he informed CNN. "It appears that everyone is facing difficulties. Nothing comes without challenges."

Reported by CNN's Lauren Fox and Melanie Zanona.