With Congress back in session this week, House Republicans are negotiating a spending bill ahead of a government shutdown. Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL) spoke with The Floridian on Tuesday on his opposition to the new bill, which would not return government spending to pre-COVID-19 levels. Additionally, he said if the federal government does not secure the southern border, it deserves to be shut down.
Citing the record-shattering numbers of border crossings just in December 2023, Rep. Donalds said he could not understand "why that is always so outside the pale" for the Biden Administration to secure the border.
"So my position is very clear: If the federal government cannot secure its border, it does not deserve any money, period" Rep. Donalds added, saying this should be its priority over anything else.
The Floridian then asked Donalds for his take on Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-LA) recent spending deal with Senate Democrats that conservative hardliners are already dismissing, with the Florida Congressman counting himself among that number.
"[Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer (D-NY) seems to love it, which means I hate it," Donalds answered, "and look, at the end of the day, the Federal agencies are still spending 30% more than they did before COVID-19. So, during COVID-19, they managed to get a big plus up from (former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Tell me why they still need that money in order to operate and provide services to the American people."
Donalds has long argued for Federal spending to return to pre-COVID levels and reiterated that he is willing to shut down the government unless spending is cut and the border is secure.
"The Federal government's job is to secure the border. It is their job. If you do not do your job, why am I paying you? Listen, man, I got kids. If my kids do not take out the trash, why would I give them an allowance? This is not hard stuff," Donalds concluded.
Representative Cory Mills (R-FL) expressed a similar sentiment during a Fox News appearance earlier in January, saying this and the twelve single-subject spending bills should be the government's main focuses.
