The Democratic-led upper chamber voted 75-22 on March 8th to pass six appropriations bills covering agriculture, housing, transportation and energy. The House passed the measure, which accounts for less than half of government funding and is worth $460 billion, on March 6.
Axios expects the upcoming negotiations to be a "tougher lift": "thornier fights over funding for things like the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security are on the horizon," the media outlet warns.
The House Freedom Caucus, made up of hardline conservatives, lobbied hard to kill the funding package and did not hide their disappointment when House Speaker Mike Johnson gave the bill the green light on Wednesday.
Johnson worked with Democrats on two occasions. First, the lower chamber passed a stopgap measure on February 29 to extend funding on a short-term basis, setting two deadlines for March 8 and March 22. Second, the Speaker relied on Democrats to pass the spending bill on March 8.
Freedom Caucus Republicans argue that by helping the Dems avert a shutdown, Johnson has "surrendered Republican leverage" to pressure the administration to resolve the burning issues of border security and immigration.
Conservative Republican voters are upset and angry at what they see as the GOP's unwillingness to take a stand on the unfolding border crisis.
"The $460 billion spending package advanced (339-85) by the GOP-controlled House on Wednesday partially funds Democrats’ authoritarian regime for the remainder of Joe Biden’s first term," wrote the Federalist, a US conservative media outlet. "Equally infuriating is Johnson and House Republicans insisting they care about stopping Biden’s border invasion — at the same time they’re handing away their only leverage to end it."
It seems that the March 22 vote could become a litmus test for Johnson in the eyes of his fellow conservatives. Likewise, the GOP base is wondering if the Republicans have the guts to challenge Team Biden and the Democrats.
The stakes are high for the GOP, and left-leaning Axios warns that "there are just two weeks left before [US lawmakers] could be back up against the wall of a government shutdown".
"The debate over funding of the Department of Homeland Security is sure to be a knockdown, drag-out fight, with immigration and border security emerging as a top election year issue," the media outlet predicted.