Exclusive — Rep. Mark Meadows on Schumer-McConnell Budget Deal: ‘The Stench of the Swamp Is Sucking in Everyone on Capitol Hill’
by SEAN MORAN
BreitBart.com
8 Feb 2018
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC) told Breitbart News Daily host and Breitbart News Washington Political Editor Matthew Boyle on Thursday that the “stench of the swamp is sucking in everyone on Capitol Hill,” regarding the Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell deal.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) struck a deal to fund the government for two years and raise the debt limit for one year. Conservative lawmakers and free-market activist groups slammed the Schumer-McConnell deal for massively increasing government spending.
The budget deal between Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell will increase defense and domestic spending by roughly $400 billion over the next two years; the Defense Department’s budget will rise by $80 billion and domestic spending will increase by $63 billion in 2018 alone. The budget deal will also raise the debt ceiling for one year.
Rep. Justin Amash (R-MI), a member of the House Freedom Caucus, said, “This spending proposal is disgusting and reckless — the biggest spending increase since 2009. I urge every American to speak out against this fiscal insanity.”
“The stench of the swamp is sucking in everyone on Capitol Hill, even some conservatives because they want to fund the military.” Meadows argued.
Chairman Meadows continued, “I’m all about funding our military but at what cost? Are we going to bankrupt our country in the process? We needed to hold tight; we need to send Mitch McConnell a message that we are not going to accept business as usual.”
Boyle then asked the House Freedom Caucus chairman about eliminating the Senate filibuster, contending that the government shutdown would not have been necessary because Republicans could have passed a spending bill in the Senate with just 51 votes.
“I think the problem Matt, it’s a rule, not a law. They talk about the traditions of the Senate. The whole 60 vote was not around except it was implemented in the 1970’s,” Meadows charged. “This rule is not serving the American people, it’s not serving the military well, and it’s not serving the president well.”
Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), another member of the House Freedom Caucus, led a “special order” in November, chastising McConnell for holding up over 300 House-passed bills in the Senate. Buck, along with other House conservatives, urged McConnell to drop the legislative filibuster. President Donald Trump has called for McConnell to drop the legislative filibuster to make it easier for Congress to pass his legislative agenda.
Meadows contended, “When you look at the amount of spending, this is the largest spending package, that any president, not just a Republican president, will sign into law bar none.”
The Rest…HERE
