- Conservative lawmakers are threatening a government shutdown over a range of demands.
- Rep. Ocasio-Cortez called out the lawmakers for risking Americans' paychecks with their conditions.
Congress is back in session, and the fight to fund the federal government is well underway — but Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez isn't quite sure what Republicans are pushing for.
Lawmakers have until September 30 to reach an agreement on funding the government. If they don't, the government will shut down, leading federal employees to be furloughed. As a result, Americans relying on programs like Social Security and SNAP could experience processing delays.
While President Joe Biden's administration and Democratic lawmakers have been urging Republicans to avoid that outcome and agree to a clean deal that would fund the government through a short-term continuing resolution, conservative holdouts have vowed they will not vote for funding unless a range of conditions are met, including an impeachment inquiry into Biden.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy announced on Tuesday that he is directing House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry, but even so, conservative holdout Rep. Matt Gaetz said during House floor remarks that McCarthy risks being removed from his role because not enough of the conservatives' conditions are being met.
Ocasio-Cortez indicated she's a little thrown by the conservatives' range of demands. "So let me get this straight: Republicans are threatening to remove their own Speaker, impeach the President, and shut down the government on September 30th - disrupting everyday people's paychecks and general public operations," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in response to Gaetz's comments. "For what? I don't think even they know. Chaos vibes"
—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 12, 2023
Even some Republican lawmakers have expressed concern with the impeachment inquiry. Rep. Don Bacon, for example, told The Hill that "we should have some clear evidence of a high crime or misdemeanor, not just assuming there may be one. I think we need to have more concrete evidence to go down that path."
However, some Senate Republicans think opening this inquiry might just be what it takes to keep the government funding conversation moving. "It seems like it's maybe part of the bargain over there to keep some folks in line on maybe the budgetary stuff," GOP Sen. Mike Braun told Politico on Tuesday.
The government funding battle continues, and it remains to be seen if McCarthy can corral his party behind him to ease up on their conditions before Americans experience another government shutdown. For now, conservatives appear to be holding strong on their demands.
"We're going to use our votes to defund as many things as we can," House Freedom Caucus member Ralph Norman said during a Tuesday press conference. "C.R.? I'm not voting for it as many aren't, because it funds all the bad things we say we are against," he continued, referring to a continuing resolution. "Economic security is national security. If not now, when?"