House GOP leaders believe they can secure enough votes from Republicans alone to clear this week’s stopgap bill without making concessions to Democrats. But some conservatives have scoffed at the idea of punting until Dec. 22, which they fear will lead to a rash of spending before Christmas.
For now, key conservative groups like the House Freedom Caucus and the Republican Study Committee are holding their fire.
“It’s still up in the air,” one House GOP staffer said about whether Republicans will back the two-week continuing resolution. “It’s like a Kabuki dance in slow motion.”
Defense hawks have also balked at the idea of a stopgap bill through the end of January, warning of budgetary uncertainty for the Pentagon.
With that in mind, some House Republicans are pushing a strategy that would include a full year’s worth of funding for the Defense Department on one of the stopgap bills this month.
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