Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., told Newsmax on Monday that "fiscal sanity" is the priority for House Republicans under Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after the Thanksgiving recess.
"He's talked about passing a budget and that's got everybody — the uni-party, all the former leadership, all the cronies, all the lobbyists — upset," Burchett said on Newsmax's "National Report." "He's talked about a budget because, under a budget, every spending item will have to be discussed and every implement of that will be discussed.
"We haven't passed a dadgum budget in Congress in 30 years. We have a budget committee; [Rep.] Jodey Arrington out of Texas is doing an excellent job. He has a budget he'd like to present. Former leadership in our party basically gave him a golf clap when he came before our conference and this speaker is giving it more than lip service.
"He is committed to us, and he is going to work on passing a real budget in Congress and having some accountability. I think that's what America needs, because, as you know, our credit rating was downgraded, only the second time I think it's happened in the history of this country. Two reasons: fiscal responsibility and leadership maturity, and I believe we've got both of those in Speaker Johnson."
Burchett voted this past week against a continuing resolution to keep the federal government open because he said "it's just a continuation" of the "bad spending policies" of President Joe Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Johnson had only two weeks to get a bill together, however, so "he did this stairstep or laddered approach to make it a little bit more palatable," Burchett told Newsmax previously.
Burchett also commented on why former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., never released the thousands of hours of security camera footage from Jan. 6, 2021, as he pledged to do when he was elected speaker.
"I can't speak for Kevin," Burchett said. "All I know is he said he was going to and he didn't. He also said we were going to have single-item spending bills, and he didn't do that, either. Speaker Johnson is doing both of those things. He's keeping his word, and I think that's a refreshing thing in Washington, D.C., for somebody in leadership keeping their dadgum word."
Nicole Wells, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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