House Freedom Caucus warns of ‘shady side deals’ in spending negotiations with Democrats

House Freedom Caucus members are warning fellow Republicans not to make any “shady side deals” with any Democrats as spending talks resume ahead of a Jan. 19 deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown.

The ultra-conservative caucus released a statement Friday urging the House GOP to reduce spending to tackle the nation’s massive debt.

“America is on the path to fiscal ruin. We are rapidly approaching $34 trillion in debt — roughly $100,000 for every American — and our debt to GDP ratio is higher now than it was after World War II,” the Republicans wrote. “To call this ‘unsustainable’ is an understatement. It is a fiscal calamity.”

They said they are “extremely troubled” that House Republican leadership is considering an agreement that would go above the $1.59 trillion statutory cap that was set six months ago by the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which was agreed upon by the White House and Congress.

The spending cap has been a flash point between the Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill, with conservatives seeking further cuts and Democrats wanting to spend up to or beyond the caps.

“As Congress negotiates FY 2024 government funding, Republicans must truly reduce programmatic spending year-over-year from the enacted FY 2023 level, and end the use of disingenuous gimmicks to conceal from Americans the real spending harm being perpetrated by their elected representatives,” they said. “Anything less represents more failure and suffering for the American people.”

Speaker Mike Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said earlier this month that he would not exceed the $1.59 trillion cap.

“What we agreed to was what is written in the law, which is the FRA numbers on topline. The Senate has been projecting and writing well above that too … billions of dollars. That’s not what the law says,” Mr. Johnson said at a year-end news conference.

The pressure comes with less than a month before the Jan. 19 deadline for the first of two batches of appropriations bills. The second batch of bills funding various departments and agencies will expire on Feb. 2.