Conservatives call for ‘fiscal sanity’ and increased border security

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Conservatives in the House and Senate say they want ‘fiscal sanity’ in Washington and stronger border security policies.

Right-wing Republicans made their priorities known as the federal government is 51 days away from shutting down and as wars rage on in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), flanked by more than a dozen congressional conservatives, said he is optimistic the federal budget could get a much-needed overhaul.

“You look at the numbers, look at interest rates, look at inflation, look at all these things, it’s really caused because we have had no fiscal sanity up here for decades,” said Scott.

Congress is still figuring out how it will fund the federal government next year as fiscal deadlines creep closer. House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), whose group previously opposed the deal cut by President Joe Biden and then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy back in May, now says lawmakers should stick to the $1.59 trillion agreement.

“No more gimmicks. Most of the House voted for it. Most of the Senate voted for it. That’s where we have to be,” said Perry.

Congress also continues to work through potential supplemental aid packages. The Freedom Caucus says Israel funding should be the top priority and kept separate from other countries.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) also had a message for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) when it comes to those other priorities.

“If the word Ukraine is uttered on the floor of the House of Representatives before we have secured the border, passed HR2 out of the Senate with the president signing it with metrics attached, that is an utter fail by Republicans,” said Roy.

Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that was a non-starter.

“The worst thing we can do is to make something as bipartisan as Ukraine aid conditional on partisan issues that have little chance of becoming law. Sadly, that’s what may well be happening right now,” said Schumer Monday on the Senate floor.

Speaker Johnson told Senate Republicans Wednesday he cannot pass the White House’s $100 billion supplemental funding package for Israel, Ukraine, the southern border and Taiwan.

So lawmakers are no closer to funding the government or providing aid to U.S. allies.

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