Conservative groups led by one tied to the GOP mega-donor Koch brothers are trying to rally congressional Republicans behind a plan to postpone the appropriations process until after the next president takes office.
On Tuesday, 33 conservative organizations, led by Koch-brothers backed Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Partners, sent a letter pushing for a stop-gap spending bill at current funding levels to keep the government running until early next year.
Congress has to pass a spending bill before the fiscal year ends on Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown.
According to Morning Consult, top Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Appropriations Committee ranking member Nita Lowey of New York, have expressed support for a shorter stop-gap bill that expires in December.
Conservatives worry, however, a lame duck Congress will go on a spending spree, the Post reports.
"We're talking about a big chunk of Congress coming back in the lame duck to vote on a lot of very important issues and if they have this must-pass vehicle looming they can tack on a lot stuff," Freedom Partners senior policy advisor Andy Koenig said, the Post reports. "They become Trojan horses for a bunch for special interest handouts."
Democrats in the Senate have already threatened to filibuster any stop-gap bill that lasts into 2017. Lawmakers return from a recess next week, and according to the Post, the conservative groups' push is targeting about 100 GOP lawmakers.
"We've seen this story play out over and over again," Koenig said, the Post reports. "We're advocating for a spending package that gets us out of a lame-duck session."
Dan Holler of the Heritage Action, which wasn't part of the letter-signing group, is behind the effort.
"It is unfair to the American people to allow unaccountable politicians to make consequential decisions in a lame duck session," Holler tells the Post.
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