A bloc of 21 House conservatives delivered a stern warning to Speaker Kevin McCarthy: they will oppose appropriations bills unless significant spending cuts are implemented. This sets the stage for another potential clash between McCarthy and the right wing of the Republican party. Many of these conservatives previously voted against the spending agreement McCarthy negotiated with President Biden, an agreement they felt delivered insufficient cuts compared to a House-passed GOP bill.

The conservatives' letter explicitly states that the Biden-McCarthy deal won't secure their support for upcoming spending bills. This poses a major challenge for McCarthy, who can only afford to lose a small number of Republican votes to pass legislation without Democratic support.

The group demands spending levels align with the fiscal year 2022 topline of $1.471 trillion, rejecting the use of repurposed unspent COVID-19 funds to surpass this level. They argue that such reallocations, while potentially reducing spending, effectively maintain current spending levels for programs they oppose, thereby perpetuating what they consider reckless inflationary spending.

While spearheaded by House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-PA), the letter isn't an official Freedom Caucus position, as other non-caucus Republicans also signed it. The letter emphasizes that voters prioritize tangible results over party unity, suggesting a willingness to defy GOP leadership to achieve those results. They criticize symbolic hearings and messaging bills that fail in the Senate, advocating for substantial cuts to the federal bureaucracy and a return to pre-pandemic spending levels.

Following a previous week-long disruption of House proceedings by opponents of the bipartisan debt limit deal, this letter further underscores the conservatives' discontent. Their demands include voting on spending bills only after all 12 are released for public review and a public commitment from McCarthy against supplemental Ukraine aid that would push Defense spending beyond fiscal 2022 levels. This latter demand is likely to spark conflict in the Senate, where a majority of Republicans support aiding Ukraine.

The conservatives assert their commitment to fulfilling campaign promises of cutting federal spending, reducing the bureaucracy, and ensuring national security. They express a willingness to collaborate with McCarthy, leveraging their budgetary power to compel President Biden to negotiate on these promises. Signatories include prominent figures like Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX), Byron Donalds (R-FL), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), and Dan Bishop (R-NC).