Democrats have been "going alone" on reaching a deal on a continuing resolution to keep the government funded, but they're "wasting time" while Americans are suffering, Rep. Drew Ferguson, the chief deputy whip for the House GOP Conference, said on Newsmax Thursday.
"I can't tell you what's in that deal," the Georgia Republican said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "Democrats have been going on alone on this. They have just been wasting time. American families are hurting from inflation, gas prices, there are crises looming all over the world, whether it's in the Ukraine or whether it's you know, travel bans. So many things are happening right now, and the Democrat majority can't get their act together to fund the government."
House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro said early Thursday that lawmakers have reached an agreement on a continuing resolution to fund federal agencies through Feb. 18.
They are scrambling to avoid a partial government shutdown this weekend, as they have until midnight Friday to approve the resolution.
DeLauro said the measure will be filed in the House, but it was not made clear how soon the measure will reach the floor for a vote.
Ferguson said that with the House Democrats, it's "just total chaos," and that's a "real shame," especially with the holiday season here.
The news of a deal comes after reports that Senate conservatives are considering a forced government shutdown Friday to defund the Biden administration's private sector vaccine mandate, with House conservatives planning measures to support the effort, according to several Republican sources.
Ferguson on Thursday said the courts will play a big role in whether the vaccine mandates will continue, and he doesn't think tying the mandate funding to the continuing resolution is the "smart play right now."
"I think the courts are going to show that these mandates are, in fact, unconstitutional," said Ferguson. "Folks should talk to their healthcare providers when making an informed decision about whether or not they want to get vaccinated and move on. The federal government should not be mandating this."
But still, he said he heard a colleague questioning why the government should be funded while the mandate continues, but he thinks that's the wrong way to go.
"We don't want the mandates, but there are some other really important things that we do need to get funded, like the military," said Ferguson. "Absolutely nobody wants a government shutdown."
Ferguson also commented on Stacey Abrams' announcement that she will run for governor again in Georgia.
"She is clearly a legend in her own mind," said Ferguson, adding that he doesn't remember seeing her give a concession speech after losing to Gov. Brian Kemp.
"Here's the bottom line; Stacey Abrams is bad for the state of Georgia," Ferguson added. "She is not the kind of leader that our state needs right now … the last thing Georgians want is to have a governor that is going to try to control their lives the way these big government socialists do here in D.C. We are going to win that election. Brian Kemp will be our next governor."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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