Republican Maryland Rep. Andy Harris, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus (HFC), is whipping support for a government funding plan backed by President Donald Trump that would avert a partial government shutdown set to occur after midnight on March 14.
Trump and House GOP leadership have endorsed a six-month extension of government funding, known as a continuing resolution (CR), that would fund government operations at current levels through the remainder of the fiscal year. HFC members including Harris are getting behind the funding measure, citing Trump’s argument that passage of the CR allows congressional Republicans to freeze government spending levels and prioritize passing his first-year legislative agenda. (RELATED: Chip Roy Wants To Shut Off Aid Tap For Countries Refusing To Take Back Their Deported Citizens)
HFC members and other conservative fiscal hawks usually oppose CRs on the principle that short-term funding bills lack spending cuts to achieve deficit reduction. Approximately 34 House Republicans, including Harris and other Freedom caucus members, voted against a GOP leadership-backed CR during the last weeks of the Biden administration on Dec. 20 that funded the government through March 14.