Uncertainty Surrounds Responsibility Act as Lawmakers Negotiate Government Funding

Ultraconservatives Push for Steeper Cuts, House Freedom Caucus Demands Significant Reduction in 2024 Spending

Lawmakers from both parties are expressing concern about the future of a government funding handshake deal brokered between the White House and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA).
Ultraconservatives, in pursuit of steeper cuts amid climbing debt, say Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is not beholden to what Democrats say is the full commitment made by McCarthy.
Critical components of the months-old deal, which were not reflected in the law, are now in question as lawmakers negotiate how the government should be funded next year.
The House Freedom Caucus is pressuring Johnson to hold the line, demanding in a letter that any deal on a top-line level for government funding for fiscal 2024 “significantly reduce total programmatic spending year-over-year.”
Democrats and advocates are sounding alarm over the push, with Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), head of the Progressive Caucus, expressing 'very' concerned about the potential cuts.