'A Total Dumpster Fire': Conservatives Furious as GOP Leadership Strikes Deal on Massive Spending Bill

Congress is once again wrapping up the year with a sprawling catch-all spending package — a pattern that has become familiar in recent years as lawmakers rush to finish business before the Christmas break.

The move has left many conservatives frustrated.

According to Politico, “Congressional leaders have struck a bipartisan deal to push the government funding deadline to March 14 and deliver more than $100 billion in emergency aid for disaster relief, House Republican leaders told their conference Tuesday morning.”

Without intervention, the federal government could face a shutdown as early as Friday at midnight.

The legislative text may be unveiled as soon as Tuesday, but House Speaker Mike Johnson has not guaranteed the usual 72-hour review period before a vote, Politico reported, citing two attendees from a private GOP meeting.

Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged the ongoing talks to finalize a continuing resolution to keep the government funded.

“Obviously we’re getting closer to the Dec. 20 deadline, so time is of the essence for Republicans to reach an agreement with us that we can act on quickly,” Schumer said Tuesday morning, per Politico.

Some conservatives are voicing their discontent over the situation.

“It’s a total dumpster fire. I think it’s garbage,” said Rep. Eric Burlison, a Missouri Republican and member of the conservative Freedom Caucus.

“Sadly, this is happening again. I think that it’s shameful that people that celebrate DOGE [Department of Government Efficiency] coming in, and yet we’re going to vote for another billion dollars to be added to the deficit. It’s ironic,” he added, likely intending to say trillion dollars, given the legislation would fund the government through March 14.

Rep. Andy Biggs, another Freedom Caucus member from Arizona, expressed similar concerns: “This week we’re supposed to vote on a continuing resolution which will keep spending money out the wazoo for another three months because we can’t do an annual budget. That’s Congress’s problem.”

He continued, “The problem that goes with it, of course, is that we have a structural deficit that keeps a mounting national debt going.”

Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina also criticized the process, posting on X, “We do this every year … the manufactured ‘government shutdown’ crisis so everyone can get everything into an omnibus or continuing resolution and taking us further into debt.”

Sean Davis, CEO of The Federalist, echoed these sentiments, writing, “Stop calling it a CR. It’s a massive K Street Christmas tree omnibus with giveaways to every special interest in Washington, D.C.”

The national debt currently exceeds $36 trillion, with fiscal year 2024 interest payments surpassing $1.1 trillion — an amount larger than the Defense Department’s $825 billion budget.

DOGE, an initiative led by billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, has set a target to slash $2 trillion from annual federal spending.