The conservative House Freedom Caucus (HFC) on Wednesday came out in opposition to the GOP's budget proposal that raises debt limits and does away with government spending caps.
The caucus tweeted its official position against the measure, citing the bipartisan Senate deal's massive expansion of the federal government.
"Official position: HFC opposes the caps deal. We support funding our troops, but growing the size of government by 13 percent is not what the voters sent us here to do," the caucus said.
Official position: HFC opposes the caps deal. We support funding our troops, but growing the size of government by 13 percent is not what the voters sent us here to do.
— House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) February 8, 2018
Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Mark Meadows
Mark Randall MeadowsHouse passes stopgap spending measure with defense money Senate leaders say they're zeroing in on two-year budget deal Republican agenda clouded by division MORE (N.C.) predicted after a closed-door meeting with Republicans on Wednesday that the majority of GOP representatives would support the Senate bill, but that it would not pass without more Democratic support.
With key fiscal hawks in the House rejecting the plan, House Speaker Paul Ryan
Paul Davis RyanMcConnell: 'Whoever gets to 60 wins' on immigration Overnight Defense: Latest on spending fight - House passes stopgap with defense money while Senate nears two-year budget deal | Pentagon planning military parade for Trump | Afghan war will cost B in 2018 House passes stopgap spending measure with defense money MORE (R-Wis.) will now need to earn dozens of Democratic votes for the bill to pass.
Rep. Jim Jordan
James (Jim) Daniel JordanSenate leaders say they're zeroing in on two-year budget deal GOP to play hardball with Dems on funding bill GOP lawmakers say Trump would make mistake in firing Rosenstein MORE (R-Ohio), a founder of the caucus, said he was disappointed by the deal and said he "never thought the Speaker would go here with these high numbers."
The Senate deal would set spending levels for military and non-defense spending over the next two years, in time to avoid a federal government shutdown before a Thursday deadline.