Scott, Senators Look to Suspend Long-Term Spending Bill During Lame Duck Congress

Senator Rick Scott

With the midterm elections done and over, all Americans can do now is wait for all the congressional changes to take effect the first week of January. Currently, the House of Representatives is in a lame-duck session with less than a month until the 118^th Congress is fully sworn in and ready to go.

Because of this, senators such as Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) are asking for Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to oppose the Democrat-sponsored spending bill.

The Republican Senators argue that a passage of the bill undermines the will of the people, with just weeks before they are sworn in.

“Locking the new Congress into yet another year of Democrat policies would flout the will of the voters and prevent the incoming Republican majority in the House of Representatives and the newly elected Republican Senators from moderating the reckless policy agenda of the last two years. Moreover, adding an increase or suspension of the debt ceiling for another year would issue Democrats a blank check and inevitably add trillions more to our crushing national debt,” write the Senators.

They also go on to mention that a short-term bill would be the best of both worlds: it would fund the government for the time being but would allow those who have just won election to the House for the first time to have their voices heard in the legislative process.

“We need to stop Washington’s pattern of ramming through unaccounted-for spending packages. Instead, we should pass a short-term funding bill, which would allow Representatives and Senators-elect to give their constituents a meaningful voice in the process early next year. The majority of American voters want a new Congress to determine how the government should be funded,” the Senators included.

Alongside Sen. Rick Scott, the letter to McConnell was signed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).