Thirteen members of the incoming House of Representatives warned their Senate colleagues to reject the massive omnibus spending bill that Democrats are trying to shove through Congress.
Led by Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), the ten current House Republicans and three incoming members sent a letter to “Senate Republican Colleagues.”
The group declared the spending bill “is an indefensible assault on the American people.” Further, it attacks “separation of powers,” “fiscal responsibility,” and “basic civic decency.”
The Monday letter said that a vote for any omnibus package before Republicans take control in January “is a vote in favor of that assault.” The writers assailed “Biden bureaucrats” for what they described as “abuse of power and dereliction of duty.”
The representatives further threatened to stand in opposition to any GOP senator who supports the package. They specifically included Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who came out in support of the spending bill.
Senate Republicans have the power to kill Democrats’ lame duck omnibus spending bill.
We will not forget those that fail in their duty to STAND UP FOR AMERICA. pic.twitter.com/zActHgbYzM
— Rep. Andrew Clyde (@Rep_Clyde) December 20, 2022
They wrote that the 13 will “oppose any rule, any consent request, suspension voice vote, or roll call vote” pertaining to the omnibus package. And the House Republicans will not stop there.
The representatives vowed to do “everything in our power” to block even the most minor “legislative and policy efforts of those senators.” The writing ends with the admonishment to “kill this terrible bill or there is no point in pretending we are a united party.”
For his part, McConnell defended GOP senators on Monday for pushing President Joe Biden to accept a “substantial real-dollar increase” in defense spending. He added that the bill cuts “nondefense, non-veterans spending in real dollars.”
The 13 Republicans are hardly convinced, and they point to the ongoing border crisis as proof that Americans are demanding action. In their letter, they expressed the exasperation of taxpayers along the border having to pay for what is clearly the federal government’s responsibility.
The Senate is expected to vote on the omnibus legislation before Christmas recess. If 41 senators oppose the spending bill, it would create a filibuster and potentially stall the measure until Republicans assume control after the new year.
