A government shutdown was avoided, but a House Republican is bearing the brunt of the blame. Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz (R), who pushed back against a Republican-backed short term budget, is receiving backlash from Republicans for the deal that lawmakers subsequently voted on. After the continuing resolution (CR) for 45 more days, Gaetz was called a “charlatan” by members of his own party.
After the House voted to fund the government for 45 days, Democrats issued statements of praise, warning that there’s still work to be done.
Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) called the vote a win for Democrats, writing on social media that Democrats “stopped cruel 30% GOP budget cuts,” ensured “no MAGA midnight gov’t closure,” and ensured that “national security and troops get paid.”
Wasserman Schultz also pointed out that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R) needed support from Democrats to avoid the shutdown.
President Joe Biden (D) also praised the vote, calling it “good news for the American people.” However, Biden issued a warning, saying that “we should never have been in this position in the first place.”
Although Democrats have praised the win, Republicans have been less enthusiastic.
Before the vote, New York Rep. Mike Lawler (R) spoke to reporters outside of the Capitol, and he issued scathing remarks against the Florida Republican.
“There’s only one person to blame for any potential government shutdown,” Lawler said, adding that Gaetz is “not a conservative Republican, he’s a charlatan.”
“As far as I’m concerned, when you’re working with Democrats to try to vacate the speaker, you’re a joke,” Lawler added.
Gaetz has been heavily critical of Speaker McCarthy, leading up to the vote, and pundits argue that the 45-day CR is a blow to Republicans.
Republicans were pursuing spending cuts and money for border security, which they did not end up getting.
