House Republicans said Saturday that they are willing to accept a three-week government funding measure that would end the partial government shutdown that started at midnight after the Senate could not strike a deal on Friday.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said his caucus would accept the bill to fund the government through Feb. 8 despite their passing of a four-week funding bill and argument that they did their part.
“I believe we would accept it,” McCarthy said.
A three-week stopgap measure was first floated by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., late Friday night, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., saying he would amend the bill on the floor to change the date. Other influential House Republicans say they would support such a measure.
“I’ll take that ... I’m not picky anymore,” said Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. “I think we’d take whatever [the Senate] would send.”
Conservatives also signaled that they would get on board. Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., said that most of the conference would support any such measure and wondered how much of a “difference” it would make.
However, he said the House GOP has done what they needed to do. “The House has done its job,” Walker said.
A majority of the conservative Freedom Caucus would support a three-week measure, a source told the Washington Examiner.
The House GOP caucus met Saturday morning and Republicans remain bullish on the point of view that the shutdown is a creation of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., over his insistence that a fix for "Dreamers" should be attached to any bill. They believe the Senate Democratic leader has gone too far.
“I think so,” said Rep. Ryan Costello, R-Pa. “I think there’s even a lot of Democrats that feel that he has overplayed his hand.”
