View this email in your browser ([link removed])
John:


Good afternoon from Capitol Hill,

Tensions were high last week as Members worked to avoid a government shutdown and fund the government.

Members expected Speaker Johnson to introduce a CR that was supposed to be “clean,” meaning that it would simply be a continuation of current spending levels, along with an extension of the Farm Bill and disaster aid to fund the government for the next three months. This measure likely would have received wide conservative support, and it was also a request of President-elect Trump that this pass so he would not have to face budgetary pressure in his first 100 days in office.

However, on Tuesday evening, the day before it was scheduled to be voted on, and with outstanding disagreements with ranking Republican members, Johnson released the text for H.R. 10445, ([link removed]) the Further Continuing Appropriations and Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2025. This bill was the result of negotiations with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and included unexpected spending not in previous funding bills, including a healthcare reform package that comprised 500 pages of the bill’s 1,547 total. Speaker Johnson's team argued that they were forced to strike the deal because of opposition from hardline Republicans who refuse to vote for any CR, clean or not.

The contents of the bill were immediately panned by conservative media ([link removed]) and on X ([link removed]) by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy for including a pay increase for Congress of about 3.8% and extending funding for the controversial Global Engagement Center, a State Department agency that censored accounts that criticized the Wuhan Institute for the COVID-19 outbreak. Behind the scenes, members were furious ([link removed]) , with Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith denying that committee chairs had adequate input and Congressman Mike Lawler lamenting that this was not a process driven by members.

The bill was renegotiated, this time with input from members of the GOP conference, and reintroduced as H.R. 10515, The American Relief Act, with a debt ceiling increase as requested by President-Elect Donald Trump, but failed with 235, no votes, including 38 Republicans voting against it.

After these two failed votes, a third attempt was held Friday evening, and thethird CR iteration, H.R. 10545, The American Relief Act, 2025, ([link removed]) passed with a tally of 366-34 in the House. The Senate moved to pass the bill on Saturday morning, with only 11 voting against it, along with a standalone bill, which was passed with unanimous consent, to transfer jurisdiction of the RFK stadium site from the federal government to the city of Washington.

Conservatives in Congress have grown increasingly frustrated by last minute spending fights. The December 19 deadline had been set in November, giving leaders in the House and Senate plenty of time to strike a deal. It’s Congress’ job to pass a budget, and this was the fourth CR of 2024 because they failed to pass the remaining six of the twelve total appropriations bills. Some Republicans, like Congressmen Andy Biggs and Eli Crane, have become so frustrated with the process that they simply refuse to vote for any CR. In their telling, CR’s have become a crutch and a way for the uniparty for decades now to avoid rules of order and the guidelines of the appropriations process.

While it’s safe to say this spending fight and another CR ultimately passing is not how Congress is meant to function, the silver lining is that the first iteration of the CR, which included extraneous provisions and backroom deals, did not pass. This simpler CR with fewer attachments ultimately passing is a sign that the incoming Trump Administration is aiming for a more transparent and efficient federal government.

In the spare minutes not focused on a spending fight, Conservatives in Washington turned their attention to the persecution of pro-life advocates under the FACE Act. On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing ([link removed]) on the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which is being disproportionately used to target pro-life advocates. The law originally was meant to prevent protesters from obstructing patients’ access to medical centers, including abortion clinics, as well as access to places of worship. However, the law has since been weaponized to target pro-life protesters outside of abortion clinics, including peaceful protesters. The hearing on Wednesday drew attention to the pro-life activists who are currently awaiting sentencing for FACE Act violations. Paul Vaughn testified that he was convicted after peacefully praying outside of a clinic in
Tennessee ([link removed]) and later having his house raided by the FBI while his wife and children were present. Rep. Roy introduced legislation to repeal the FACE Act in September 2023, but the House Judiciary Committee has not moved the legislation.

The Latest from the Conservative Movement
* Sen. Rand Paul released his annual “Festivus” Report, a list of the worst government spending totaling $1,008,313,329,626.12 in government waste ([link removed])

* R ([link removed]) ep. Andy Harris won reelection as the House Freedom Caucus Chairman ([link removed])

* Biden’s OMB Releases Fall 2024 Unified Agenda of regulations: The Numbers, Trends, and What’s Next ([link removed])

* Center for Immigration Studies New Report: American men drop out of economy as immigrants claim jobs ([link removed])

* New January 6th Report Details Criminal Recommendations Against Liz Cheney ([link removed])

* Senate starts ‘secret’ talks for bipartisan border deal for early 2025 ([link removed])

One More Thing

Mike Duffey, a guest lecturer at CPI Academy Defense Courses this year, has been chosen to serve as the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment for President-elect Trump. ([link removed])

Sincerely,

AJ Swinson, Senior Government Relations Coordinator

Babs Hough, Deputy Director of Government Relations

============================================================

CONSERVATIVE PARTNERSHIP INSTITUTE
300 Independence Ave SE
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 742-8988 Tel | (202) 595-0282 Fax
** CPI.org ([link removed])
** Donate ([link removed])

Invest in America’s Future With A Legacy Gift

The Conservative Legacy Society is a special group of supporters who help us represent their values into the future by remembering CPI in their will, by designating CPI as a beneficiary, or by making a planned gift. To learn more, visit ** [link removed] ([link removed])
.

Conservative Partnership Institute is a 501(c)(3) charitable and educational foundation that provides leaders in Washington with the training and resources they need to effectively advance conservative principles. Charitable contributions are tax-deductible for income, gift, and estate taxes. Our federal tax identification number is 82-1470217.
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.

** Update Profile ([link removed])
| ** Unsubscribe ([link removed])
Copyright © 2024 Conservative Partnership Institute, All rights reserved.