Conservative Republicans didn’t hold back on March 21 over the $1.2 trillion spending bill that would fund 70 percent of the government—as the clock ticks toward a partial government shutdown on March 23.
The bill, the text of which was unveiled in the early morning hours of March 21—less than 48 hours before a shutdown was set to begin—immediately reignited tensions in the Republican conference and concerns about House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) leadership of the lower chamber.
“They did make some cuts but it’s not what I would like,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) told reporters in a gentle voice.
But Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) vented on the bill, which would fund agencies such as the Defense Department, and targeted his ire at Mr. Johnson, saying he “blew it.”…
