Rift in GOP over budget bill tactics

WASHINGTON — Hard-right conservatives are rebelling against a plan by House GOP leaders for a two-week reprieve from a possible government shutdown next week.

Speaker Paul Ryan and other GOP leaders want to set a new government shutdown deadline just prior to Christmas to give time for talks with Democrats on the budget, hurricane relief and other unfinished business. Right now, Washington faces a Dec. 8 deadline. But conservatives said Friday that they fear the new Dec. 22 deadline means they’ll get legislation they don’t like jammed through.

Democrats won’t commit to helping the GOP pass the two-week funding bill. They want assurances that immigrants brought illegally to the U.S. as children will be given protection from deportation — and many insist that it pass this year.

If Democrats don’t provide the votes to prevent a shutdown, Republicans would have to pass a temporary spending bill, known as a “continuing resolution,” on their own.

Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy insists “it’ll be fine” and that they want to get all the work done. “Look, two weeks isn’t very long,” said McCarthy, R-Bakersfield. “We want to keep the pressure up.”

But conservatives fear a torrent of spending bills and legislation to shore up Obamacare insurance markets, and also worry that immigration issues would be addressed in the year-end crunch.