Marjorie Taylor Greene says Johnson floating one-year CR to punt on budget battle

House Speaker Mike Johnson floated passing a one-year continuing budget resolution, according to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a measure that would far surpass the stopgap funding measure former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated before his ouster.

The "laddered" CR that passed under Johnson is set to expire on Jan. 16 for some federal agencies and Feb. 2 for others. President Joe Biden signed the measure Nov. 16. Greene, for her part, took exception to Johnson's alleged plans to follow up on that legislation.

"What makes me sick is our new speaker is talking about passing a one-year CR to continue the Green New Deal, continue abortion funding, continue trans funding for the military, continue all the things that we want to stop and change and that'll just continue Nancy Pelosi's budget that serves the Biden administration," Greene told Just the News this week. "He's already talking about doing another one-year CR and not mentioning what that would involve."

Just the News reached out to other conservative lawmakers about Greene's comments, including Rep. Scott Perry, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, but did not receive a response before press time.

Greene suggested the GOP-led House pass a limited funding bill after the current CR expires.

"I would pass an extremely limited funding bill that would just keep the government open to do the very basics, you know, like fund TSA so airplanes could fly in the country; fund border patrol, law enforcement, etc.," she said. "But it would be such a limited funding bill, it'd be one that our entire conference could support, send it over to the Senate and play a game of chicken with Chuck Schumer."

The House has so far passed 7 single-subject appropriations bills to fund the federal government, with five remaining. Greene further noted that the Senate has not voted on any of them.

"So, the pressure should not be on House Republicans. We can fund the government in a very limited capacity. All the pressure should be on the Senate and the White House and we should be able to stand firm and say we are not wavering on this," she said.

Earlier this year, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced a motion to vacate the speaker chair, citing House conservatives' opposition to a 45-day continuing resolution McCarthy put on the House floor to avoid a government shutdown before the funding deadline of Sept. 30. The bill received bipartisan support and Biden ultimately signed it. Gaetz argued that the House should have passed separate appropriations bills with spending cuts to reduce the nation's growing budget deficit. 

McCarthy was ultimately removed as speaker in a 216-210 vote on Oct. 3, with eight Republican votes. All 208 Democrats present in the chamber backed his ouster. Greene voted against removing McCarthy.

"I've been arguing with those eight Republicans saying if you're going to make red lines in the sand, then you should hold those red lines for any speaker going forward. And if those are the red lines, they have to stay for everyone otherwise nothing changes," she said. "But that's not really what that was about. It was personal grievances against Kevin McCarthy. Now we have a new speaker, Mike Johnson, and the honeymoon period has worn off."

Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., who voted to remove McCarthy, told Just the News he was not in attendance at the last House GOP conference meeting but discussed the possibility of the GOP-led House passing another CR.

Pressed on his potential support for such a measure, Buck said "I think what we have to look at is what costs more: an FRA [Financial Responsibility Act] number or a CR? And also, what is the cost of the military?" Buck said, referring to legislation that reflects the deal McCarthy reached with President Biden to raise the debt limit.

"My understanding is we would be behind on building 7 ships and a nuclear submarine if we went with the CR route. I don't know the answer to those questions in order to make a decision," he added.

When asked if he is satisfied with Johnson's job performance as speaker, Buck said, "Very much so."

In the end, Buck thinks Johnson will make the right move on federal spending.

"He always does the right thing. Even when it's not right, he always does the right thing," Buck said.

Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., who also voted in favor of ousting McCarthy, said that there wasn't a grace period for Johnson as speaker.

"I think you bring people in and see if they can do the job they were brought in to do,” Rosendale said, according to USA Today.