Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- Sen. Mike Lee criticized a 1,500-page continuing resolution as "Christmastime legislative extortion."
- The resolution, opposed by some Republicans, aimed to prevent a government shutdown.
- Lee supports a "clean" resolution and criticized leadership for poor management.
WASHINGTON — Sen. Mike Lee called the effort to pass a 1,500-page continuing resolution ahead of the midnight Dec. 20 shutdown deadline "Christmastime legislative extortion," saying legislative leaders try to pass massive spending bills ahead of the Christmas break every year.
The continuing resolution, which was the result of negotiations between Republicans and Democrats, was scuttled by House Republicans on Wednesday after President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President-elect JD Vance, as well as Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy — the future leaders of Trump's government efficiency department — urged Republicans to vote against the billions of dollars in new spending for disaster relief, farmer subsidies and a significant salary increase for lawmakers.
Lee came out in opposition on social media but told the Deseret News Thursday he is in favor of a "clean" continuing resolution, one that would fund the government for a specific period of time without legislative add-ons — although he said disaster relief alone would not have been a "deal-breaker."
But the House rejected a relatively "clean" resolution on Thursday evening, paving the way for a possible government shutdown starting Saturday. The latest resolution would have funded the government through March, provided some disaster relief, and moved the debt ceiling expiration to Jan. 30, 2027. Almost 40 Republicans joined most Democrats in voting against the legislation.
Lee said Thursday, before the vote in the House, that he is in favor of a clean resolution.
"That's what they were supposed to do, was to have a clean, short-term continuing resolution to keep the lights on between now and when the new administration will be in place, and the new Senate Republican majority will be sworn in. That was the plan. That was the promise," he told the Deseret News.
But on the idea of a debt ceiling extension, Lee said he was less sure that could be "worked into this," adding he has a lot of questions about what Trump and Vance have in mind.
Lee: Original CR worse than 'dog's breakfast'
Lee called continuing resolutions like the one that was rejected on Wednesday a "trick." Legislative leaders ignored a "series of spending deadlines" until right before the Christmas break, then asked lawmakers to quickly approve the resolution, he said.
"They used a trick that they've been relying on for too long, and it's a trick that I've been predicting for some time would one day stop working, and yesterday was finally that day," he said.
This time, Lee said, in the aftermath of the election and with heightened interest on social media, and AI giving people the option of quickly summarizing the 1,500-page bill, legislative leaders weren't able to get it across the finish line.
"To call it a dog's breakfast is an insult to dogs' breakfasts everywhere," he said.
He said the failed resolution was evidence of the diminished power of the "firm," Lee's shorthand for the top Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate — "the law firm of Schumer, McConnell, Johnson and Jeffries."
Democratic leaders in the House defend deal
Democrats said Republicans who didn't support the original resolution were beholden to Musk.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, "The Musk-Johnson proposal is not serious. It's laughable. Extreme MAGA Republicans are driving us to a government shutdown," according to Politico.
Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro said in a speech on the House floor that Republicans had reneged on a deal they'd been negotiating for months, saying the GOP is to blame if the government shuts down, despite her caucus' decision not to vote for the stripped-down continuing resolution.
Lee made clear Thursday he was not in favor of a government shutdown, saying shutdowns are "not good."
"I don't believe at all that a shutdown is something that we want to achieve," he said. "Sometimes a shutdown happens because of gross mismanagement on the part of the top Republican and the top Democrat from each chamber of Congress, and that is exactly what this is. This was entirely preventable. This was entirely avoidable, and this is entirely the fault of Misters Schumer, McConnell, Johnson and Jefferies."
Lee floats idea of Musk or Ramaswamy for speaker
While Lee is not in the House, he has been critical of Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson in recent days and suggested Musk or Ramaswamy might make better speakers. The Constitution does not say the speaker has to be a member of the legislative body.
Lee said Johnson is a friend and a "good person," but said it's hard for him to "comprehend a scenario in which he survives" as speaker.
"The reality of this is he lost complete control with disastrous consequences," Lee said.
Whether either of the entrepreneurs has time to be speaker while also running their businesses and the Department of Government Efficiency, Lee said "we'll see" if either one is interested.
Is President Biden playing a role in congressional negotiations?
When asked whether President Joe Biden was playing a role in negotiations over keeping the government open, Lee said "as best as he can tell," Biden has played "no role."
The White House has put out statements about the negotiations, but in the past, Lee said, when Biden was vice president, he took an active role in legislative negotiations and discussions.
"It's possible that he is as well this time, but I don't see any of the hallmark characteristics of direct Biden involvement," he said.
