GOP lawmakers in Congress will hold a press conference on Wednesday afternoon to urge the House and Senate to pass appropriations bills and a national security aid package that secure "fiscal sanity" and tougher border security measures, such as higher asylum standards.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., will lead the press conference alongside members of the House Freedom Caucus and Sens. Mike Braun, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson and Roger Marshall. A source familiar told Fox News Digital the press conference will also focus heavily on aid to Ukraine negotiations.
"For years, too many in Congress – and I’m talking about both parties and Republican leadership – have just accepted the status quo with CR’s [Continuing Resolutions] or stood idly by as Democrats shoved through massive spending package after massive spending package with no consideration of the consequences. We can’t squander it," Scott is expected to say, Fox News Digital learned exclusively.
"I’ve had enough. Families have had enough. When I talk to Florida families, and hear how Biden’s inflation crisis is affecting them, they need us to fix this ASAP," Scott is expected to say. "So now Republicans in the Senate need to stand with our colleagues in the House as they force the return of fiscal sanity in Washington by passing spending bills that get us on the path to a balanced budget, so we can get our country back on track."
GOP LEADERSHIP SAYS NATIONAL SECURITY PACKAGE MUST INCLUDE STRICTER BORDER POLICIES TO PASS SENATE
Tensions are high as both chambers are expected to vote on an emergency supplemental bill as early as next week that the Biden administration requested in October. That package requested $61.4 billion for Ukraine, $14.3 billion for Israel (with $10.6 billion allocated for military aid), $13.6 billion for some border provisions like speeding up asylum processing, and significant investments in Indo-Pacific security assistance, totaling around $7.4 billion. Additionally, there's $9 billion earmarked for humanitarian aid in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza.
In January and February, Congress will also have to finalize an annual budget for the government. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., suggested creating two separate deadlines for funding different parts of the government in an effort to prevent Congress from lumping all 12 spending bills into a massive "omnibus" package.
Bills concerning military construction and Veterans Affairs; Agriculture; Energy and Water; Transportation and Housing and Urban Development must be worked out by Jan. 19 while the remaining eight appropriations bills must be decided upon by Feb. 2.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
