As the December 11th deadline for Congress to pass a government funding bill looms ever closer, the prospects of lawmakers meeting their deadline are looking increasingly uncertain. One notable critic of the current political climate, Republican Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, has weighed in on the situation and believes the House GOP will not be able to pass a government funding bill by the end of the month.
Meadows, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, has a long history of dissent in Congress and holds a strong stance on government spending. In an interview with Bloomberg News, he stated, “If it’s anything that I’ve seen in Congress in the last few years, it’s that it’s very difficult to get something done before Christmas.”
Meadows was not alone in his assessment of the current political climate; leading conservative Jim DeMint, the former president of the Heritage Foundation and a lobbyist for the Tea Party, also chimed in on the situation. In an interview with Fox News’ Neil Cavuto, he asserted that the House of Representatives can’t get a deal done in the short amount of time before the current deadline.
If Meadows and DeMint are correct in their assessment, it could lead to yet another government shutdown. Congress has dealt with several shutdowns since 2011, and the lack of a deal to fund the government would only add to the economic and political instability that Americans have grown used to in recent years.
Meadows and DeMint’s predictions also come in light of President Trump’s insistence on increasing border security spending, something that Democrats have expressed opposition to. With no sign of a compromise in sight, it appears that the prospects of a government shutdown by December 11th are looking increasingly likely.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Democratic-controlled Senate need to come to a consensus before December 11th if they hope to avoid a government shutdown. Until then, the only ones that can accurately predict the outcome are those within the political trenches. All eyes are now on the members of Congress and whether or not they can pass a government funding bill before the looming deadline.
