Marjorie Taylor Greene a 'hard no' on rules package meant to avoid government shutdown

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September 25, 2023

The United States government just days away from shutting down if Congress is unable to quickly pass a rules package for four appropriations bills.

That outcome seems to have grown more likely over the weekend as Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene confirmed she won't be backing rules package.

Greene is "a hard no" on vote

According to the Washington Examiner, Greene objects to the presence of hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for Ukraine in two of the four bills.

"I’ve been asking for Ukraine funding to be a standalone vote, not cash hidden inside of other bills. For a moment, it seemed like that would happen. But it didn’t," Greene was quoted as saying in a statement.

🚨🚨🚨 IMPORTANT THREAD ON THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS 🚨🚨🚨

For weeks, I’ve been asking for Ukraine funding to be a standalone vote, not cash hidden inside of other bills. For a moment, it seemed like that would happen. But it didn’t.

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) September 24, 2023

"Voting yes on the rule means more money for Ukraine. It’s that simple. No one who wants peace should vote yes on the rule to advance the bills. That’s why I’m a HARD NO on the rules package and a blank check for Ukraine!" she insisted.

Congresswoman complains that US is "paying for just about everything"

Greene followed those words up with another statement on Monday in which she declared, "Americans aren’t just footing the bill for military aid to Ukraine, we’re paying for just about everything."

"Including seeds and fertilizer for their agricultural industry and the salary’s of 57,000 first responders. We don’t even have 19,000 Border Patrol agents defending our own Southern border!!" the congresswoman continued.

Americans aren’t just footing the bill for military aid to Ukraine, we’re paying for just about everything.

Including seeds and fertilizer for their agricultural industry and the salary’s of 57,000 first responders.

We don’t even have 19,000 Border Patrol agents defending our… pic.twitter.com/HIy4NjCg3Y

— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) September 25, 2023

The Examiner noted that for his part, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced on Friday that he would strip $300 million earmarked to train Ukrainian soldiers from the Department of Defense appropriations bill and instead hold a separate vote on the matter.

Speaker says 99.9% of Republicans don't want a shutdown

However, the speaker later told reporters that the funding was "too difficult" to remove as the State and Foreign Operations appropriations bill also has money for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, McCarthy has expressed frustration over the fact that some members of his caucus have changed their votes unexpectedly.

"I've seen some people before, and when crunch times come, they are telling me one thing and walk on the floor they do something else because they have some other plan," the speaker complained.

"I think there are a few people that want to take it all down, right? For different reasons, different reasons. I just do not believe 99.9% of the Republicans want that. I don't think that's productive," he added.