by Sharon Rondeau
(Dec. 19, 2024) — The continuing resolution to which many Republicans objected because of the “pork” it contained, along with funding for basic government functions past midnight on Friday, was abandoned Wednesday night without a vote.
The 1,547-page bill was opposed by Trump and his incoming “DOGE” co-leaders, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, for the amount of spending it contained, including pay and benefits increases for Congress.
At least one Democrat had objected to the congressional pay raise, referencing the hardship he said his constituents are currently experiencing and pledging to vote against the measure if the provision were not removed.
A “clean CR” described as “a lot slimmer” and fewer than 200 pages was introduced by House Republicans and is now under consideration by Democrats who “don’t seem very excited about this,” Fox News’s Aishah Hasnie reported at 4:46 p.m. EST on “Your World with Cavuto.”
Hasnie mentioned Rep. Chip Roy‘s opposition to the new CR because it raises the debt ceiling, something Trump has promoted since Wednesday when a tentative vote was scheduled to take place that evening on the initial measure.
Trump zeroed in on Roy’s objection to the smaller CR, writing on TruthSocial Roy is an “obstructionist” seeking “some cheap publicity for himself”:
The very unpopular “Congressman” from Texas, Chip Roy, is getting in the way, as usual, of having yet another Great Republican Victory – All for the sake of some cheap publicity for himself. Republican obstructionists have to be done away with. The Democrats are using them, and we can’t let that happen. Our Country is far better off closing up for a period of time than it is agreeing to the things that the Democrats want to force upon us. Biden is President, and it’s his obligation to properly lead. We’re there to do the right thing, and we can’t agree with what Biden and the Democrats are demanding. Weak and ineffective people like Chip have to be dismissed as being utterly unknowledgeable as to the ways of politics, and as to Making America Great Again. Put “America First,” and go for the Victory, even if it means shutting the Government down for a period of time. We had an overwhelming Victory just four weeks ago, and we’re not going to let the Democrats forget it so quickly!
Within the same time frame, Trump added, “Chip Roy is just another ambitious guy, with no talent. By the way, how’s Bob Good doing? I hope some talented challengers are getting ready in the Great State of Texas to go after Chip in the Primary. He won’t have a chance!”
Good is the outgoing representative from Virginia’s fifth district who lost his primary to John McGuire in June. McGuire went on to win the seat in November against Democrat Gloria Witt.
Good was one of eight congressmen who in October 2023 pushed for the ultimately successful ouster of then-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. Trump then threw his support behind McGuire.
On Thursday Good reposted on his website Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-UT) comment on “X” defending Roy.
Roy and Good initially supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s presidential candidacy during the Republican primary.
Roy responded to Trump on “X” with, “My position is simple – I am not going to raise or suspend the debt ceiling (racking up more debt) without significant & real spending cuts attached to it. I’ve been negotiating to that end. No apologies,” copying the message to Trump, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the House Freedom Caucus.
Approximately two hours later, Roy compared the “old bill” to the “new bill,” stating $110 billion in “unpaid for ” deficit spending undergirded both but that the new CR contains more than $4 trillion in a debt ceiling increase “with $0 in structural reforms for cuts.”
“I will vote no,” he concluded his post.
Just after 6:00 p.m. EST, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD1) confirmed to Fox Business “The Bottom Line” co-hosts Tammy Bruce and Brian Brenberg that $110 billion in the new bill is unfunded and a vote of the full House is scheduled “in a few minutes.”
Democrats are likely to vote against the bill, the program chyron suggested.
On a different subject, Trump remarked on the departure from Fox News of longtime business-news host Neil Cavuto announced earlier Thursday. “GOOD NEWS FOR AMERICA!” he wrote. “Neil Cavuto, the Lowest Rated Anchor on Fox, by far, is leaving – Should have happened a long time ago!”
According to The Los Angeles Times, Fox offered Cavuto a reduced salary to renew his expiring contract, citing “people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to discuss it publicly.”
Cavuto was the network’s first anchor hired in 1996, The Times reported, noting, as did USA Today, that media companies have recently taken steps to reduce prominent anchors’ salaries going forward.
“Over the past few years, Cavuto has become an iconoclast on Fox’s dayside programming, a rare voice willing to call out President-elect Donald Trump and face his wrath in return,” Mediaite reported Thursday morning.
[…] House “stop-gap” spending bill aimed at avoiding a government shutdown Friday night and supported by President-Elect Donald Trump was voted down Thursday […]