BURSTRep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) on Tuesday criticized House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) for not producing text for the continuing resolution (CR) and proposing measures that would add to the national debt.
“I think that it's shameful that people that celebrate DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) coming in, I can't, and yet we're gonna vote for another billion dollars to be added to the deficit, and so it's ironic. Personally, I'm disappointed,” Burlison told reporters.
“I think that he can do better. He can communicate better," Burlison said of Johnson. "The fact that we haven't seen the language today, and we're supposed to vote on it this week, is unacceptable.”
GOP members and Democrats have been debating over a last minute add that would create economic assistance for farmers amid an approaching deadline. The proposal seeks to extend the 2018 farm bill for one year to provide for economic losses and weather related assistance with $10 billion designated to the effort.
Republicans in the House also have signaled they will need Democratic votes to get what ever package emerges out of their chamber. That has given Democrats leverage in the talks.
The GOP has a very narrow House majority, and Republicans have repeatedly not been able to agree on their own over funding legislation, handing leverage to the minority party.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) also critiqued the addition to the stopgap bill citing the national debt as a reason for opposition.
"It's the opposite of what the DOGE Commission is trying to do. So, am I voting for it? No, I'm not,” Norman said.
DOGE has been tasked with slashing the federal government’s “wasteful spending” amid legislative reforms. Republicans including Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) have committed to uplifting DOGE’s efforts to remove trillions in spending cuts.
However, House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said underfunding farmers was not the best path forward.
Congress extended the farm bill for a year in 2023 following years of threats to its renewal.
If they fail to approve another extension, farmers would be subject to the country’s 1949 permanent agriculture law which outlines assistance through fixed support prices for subsidy payments which some lawmakers say is not enough to “break even.”
Despite the GOP’s internal controversy over farm aid, Johnson confirmed lawmakers could expect to review a finalized text on Tuesday.
“We're almost there,” he said.
“We've been working around the clock to get the CR done. It was intended to be and it was until recent days a very simple a very clean CR...but a couple intervening things have occurred...We do expect text today."