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GOP Fiscal Hawks show a change of heart toward spending bills
Roll Calll ^ | April 17 | By Aidan Quigley

Posted on 04/17/2025 9:40:25 AM PDT by RandFan

When House Republicans united last month to back a full-year stopgap funding measure on a mostly party-line vote, 17 of them did something they’d never done before: vote for a spending bill that became law.

In the Senate, Republicans Mike Lee of Utah and Eric Schmitt of Missouri likewise voted for such a bill for the first time. Lee, first elected in 2010, had voted against continuing resolutions and regular annual bills for nearly 15 years before backing the final fiscal 2025 package.

Only Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Rand Paul, both of Kentucky, are left standing as Republicans who have never voted for a regular appropriations or stopgap funding law.

President Donald Trump’s backing convinced Republicans to get on board for the law, which included a net cut to overall spending by about $7 billion, including $13 billion slashed from nondefense programs — largely due to earmarks being stripped from the bill.

The changed mindset among fiscal hawks was on full display shortly before the big CR vote last month, when the leader of the rebellious Freedom Caucus, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., stood alongside House Republican leaders at a news conference to announce his support for the measure.

“This is not your grandfather’s continuing resolution,” Harris said from the podium. “This is a different type of spending bill.”

(Excerpt) Read more at rollcall.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Conspiracy
KEYWORDS:
I often wondered what happened to these guys, Mike Lee, etc. who used be very fiscally hawkish.

I still dont know what happened to them the article just says it's because of Trump in which case I'm left disappointed.

Just because 'your guy' is in office is no excuse or a pass.

1 posted on 04/17/2025 9:40:25 AM PDT by RandFan
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To: hardspunned; Alberta's Child

Rand and Massie stand proudly and virtually never to have voted for one of these resolutions also notice how it’s always “different” this time!


2 posted on 04/17/2025 9:45:08 AM PDT by RandFan
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To: RandFan

And look what they accomplished. Zilch. Maybe better to work toward a solution rather than being obstructionists.


3 posted on 04/17/2025 9:47:17 AM PDT by JayGalt (Fight! Fight! Fight!)
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To: RandFan

Their opposition to workable, if not sensible ‘solutions’ has made them famous.


4 posted on 04/17/2025 9:53:02 AM PDT by ComputerGuy ( )
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To: RandFan

These non-budgets should not exist, but they do.

It is far better to work with the army you have, than the army you want.

The latter never gets anything done until you’ve been conquered, then killed.


5 posted on 04/17/2025 9:55:00 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ComputerGuy; JayGalt

It’a shame to see what is happening. Is it really different this time? We will see. Trump should be asking them (Congress) to make sustainable and practical cuts.

This is what I think.

Now when they go against Trump they take a lot of flak even if the policy sucks.


6 posted on 04/17/2025 9:55:51 AM PDT by RandFan
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To: ConservativeMind

See #6. What I’d add is most of them prefer a quieter life and have made a decision to go with it. I hope it works out but I doubt it will~!


7 posted on 04/17/2025 9:57:47 AM PDT by RandFan
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To: RandFan

They all need to crank it up a notch or two. I can’t believe they’re so disorganized.


8 posted on 04/17/2025 10:00:31 AM PDT by ComputerGuy ( )
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To: RandFan

The House simply can’t operate under Regular Order.


9 posted on 04/17/2025 10:02:47 AM PDT by Fury
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To: RandFan

Trump policies do not suck. That’s the disconnect.

The real disgrace is that these 1st steps in the process need to happen to work out the cuts. Nothing is being placed into law yet. There is plenty of time to get more data from Doge and uncover waste & fraud before actually passing the bill.

That is what is so unforgivable about Massie & Rad’s studied intransigence. If they truly cared about America and fiscal solvency they would not interfere with the process of getting cuts and spending worked out by Congress. They prioritize their polling and political brands above the American people.


10 posted on 04/17/2025 10:12:09 AM PDT by JayGalt (Fight! Fight! Fight!)
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To: RandFan

There is something else happening here. The budget may get approved for extra monies, but Trump is sequestering a lot of spending that gets approved, to give it back at some point.

So a chunk of money won’t be used.


11 posted on 04/17/2025 10:13:14 AM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: RandFan
Rand and Massie stand proudly and virtually never to have voted for one of these resolutions …

Uh … whut? LOL.

I virtually never beat my cat, either. :-0

12 posted on 04/17/2025 10:16:46 AM PDT by Alberta's Child ("The gallows wait for martyrs whose papers are in order.")
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To: RandFan

As much as I support Massie and Paul on 95% of what they do and as much as it goes against every fiber in my body, I will go along with Trump on this one.

Other than you, you cannot find a bigger fan of Rand Paul or Thomas Massie than me. That being said, their principled positions have never resulted in anything that ever benefited you, me or my grandchildren in a significant way other than supplying Constitutional debating points in our home school government class.


13 posted on 04/17/2025 10:27:18 AM PDT by hardspunned (Look for the“Putin Stooge” libel, news from Ukraine you’ve gradually grown to trust over 36 months)
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To: RandFan

Wow $7 billion. We’re saved


14 posted on 04/17/2025 10:33:23 AM PDT by 03A3 (If we can defund the police, we sure as hell can defund the FBI)
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To: RandFan

Funny how all the fiscal hawks never tell us how the tariff is going to bring in $400 billion annually. Hypocrites all.


15 posted on 04/17/2025 10:35:21 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: RandFan

The reality is that cutting spending will hurt many Americans and businesses that depend on Federal spending.
Politicians know this, and the politicians that propose economic pain will “face the music” from voters and donors in future elections.

This is a main reason federal budget receipts & outlays are completely one-sided in the outlay direction.

The other reason is the rapacity of interest groups.


16 posted on 04/17/2025 10:44:42 AM PDT by unclebankster (Globalism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. )
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To: central_va

Funny how all the fiscal hawks never tell us how the tariff is going to bring in $400 billion annually. Hypocrites all.

***************

Many of them are foreign trade ideologues that have a religious zeal in their defense of the status quo.

From my perspective they might as well be “barking at the moon” because global and economic events aren’t moving in their direction.

Their energy would be better served in enhancing our strongest trade position, which is trade within our 50 State American Union.


17 posted on 04/17/2025 10:53:26 AM PDT by unclebankster (Globalism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. )
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To: unclebankster
Their energy would be better served in enhancing our strongest trade position, which is trade within our 50 State American Union.

Well said.

18 posted on 04/17/2025 10:55:12 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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