‘We’re not getting rolled again’

The conservative House Freedom Caucus made it clear Tuesday that it doesn’t intend to get steamrolled in the government budget fight and will oppose any stopgap measure designed to avoid a shutdown.

“We got rolled on the debt ceiling. We’re not getting rolled again now,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) proclaimed during a press conference.

In late May, Republican negotiators cut a deal with Democrats to raise the nation’s borrowing authority — or debt ceiling — that featured far less spending concessions than the Freedom Caucus sought.

This time around, the ultra-conservative bloc is opposing any stopgap measure to temporarily forestall a shutdown while Congress scrambles to fund the government without giving them concessions.

“We’re not interested in a continuing resolution that continues the policies and the spending of the Biden-Schumer-Pelosi era. We’re not going to vote for it,” Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry (R-Penn.) vowed.

Congress is lagging on settling over 12 appropriations bills needed to keep the government open, which is why many members favor a continuing resolution or stopgap measure.

But the Freedom Caucus wants to use the need for a stopgap or continuing resolution to extract additional concessions.

Members of the caucus ticked off an array of wish-list items such as additional spending cuts, enhanced border security measures and scrapping the Pentagon’s controversial policy of funding travel for abortion.

Democrats have been fiercely opposed to giving conservatives additional concessions.

Including Tuesday, the House has 11 legislative days on its calendar for the month. The next fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. Without any action, the government will shut down.