Arizona Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) confirmed his commitment to vote against any short-term spending bill, insisting he will only vote for the 12 appropriations bills Congress is legally obligated to create to fund the government, during a Thursday appearance on “The John Fredericks Show.”
Crane indicated he is proud to be called a “legislative terrorist” for his refusal to join moderate Republicans in their push for a quick spending bill to avoid a government shutdown, suggesting the $33 trillion debt and $2 trillion annual deficit mean “this thing doesn’t end well.” He also accused members of Republican leadership and “many” House Republicans of having “no desire” to reign in spending.
“It’s not just numbers on paper, it’s not just a couple bills and laws, this is the future of America,” Crane told host John Fredericks, who is the publisher of The Georgia Star News and The Virginia Star News. Crane continued, “People in Washington, D.C. continue to act so arrogant and foolish [even] as we’re going off a fiscal, financial cliff.”
He added that Congress has “no desire to quit spending money we don’t have.”
A group of about 10 Republicans has indicated they will refuse to vote for a short-term spending bill, though some have indicated they may if certain concessions are met. However, Crane insisted that his “Never CR” subsection of that group remains committed.
“I think this is one more occasion where Republicans are playing not to lose and not playing to win,” said Crane before explaining that winning means “actually trying to turn this aircraft carrier a couple degrees, back toward sanity.”
“I think the American people expect this group to fight, to hold the line, and to vote in principle, and then we let the cards fall where they do,” said Crane.
Crane said he spoke to fellow freshman Republican Representatives Cory Mills (R-FL-07), Andrew Ogles (R-TN-05), and Wesley Hunt (R-TX-38), who all reportedly will refuse to back any short-term spending bill, and the group believes their refusal will expose any Republicans who vote otherwise.
“I was talking to some of my colleagues last night, some of the other legislative terrorists up here,” said Crane. “One of the biggest wins about holding the line… even if we lose, and some of the moderates and some of the Democrats get what they want, they get a clean continuing resolution, is the exposure the exposure aspect of it.”
Crane claimed his Republican colleagues prefer to “hide behind these continuing resolutions and these omnibus packages” to obscure spending they “secretly” want to be included “so they can pay off the corporate special interest groups, the lobbyists that they’ve made promises to.”
A federal government shutdown will begin on Saturday unless Congress passes one or more spending bills by Friday.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Eli Crane” by Eli Crane.
