NY Republican eyes voting with Democrats to avert government shutdown

New York Rep. Mike Lawler has joined a group of fellow moderate Republicans who say they may vote with Democrats to avert a government shutdown if House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is unable to pass a stopgap spending bill.

With a possible shutdown looming this weekend, Lawler is one of four Republicans who says he would consider working across the aisle with Democrats if that is the only feasible way to keep the government open.

Lawler, who faces a tricky reelection fight in his Democratic-leaning district in Westchester County, says he could vote with Democrats to bring a short-term funding bill to the House floor if the only alternative is a shutdown.

Rep. Marc Molinaro, a fellow first-term Republican who represents a swing district stretching from the Catskills further upstate, also says it is “absolutely an option” to team up with Democrats to keep the government open.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska) and Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania) also expressed openness to the tactic after enduring two weeks of fruitless negotiations with GOP hardliners.

No few than five Republicans would likely need to break ranks with the party to pass the discharge petition in the nearly evenly divided House.

The crucial fifth GOP vote could be Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, another first-term Republican from a Long Island district President Biden won in 2020.

D’Esposito has said he was “very frustrated” with Republicans who have so far blocked passage of a stopgap spending bill. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday on whether he would consider voting with Democrats.

Lawler last week derided members of the far right-wing Freedom Caucus as “lunatics” and a “clown show” who don’t really want to pass any government spending bill.

Bacon, who is also facing a tough fight to hold onto his blue-leaning Omaha district, said some far right Republicans would “vote against the Bible because there’s not enough Jesus in it.”

McCarthy says he still believes he can push through a spending bill with only the support of Republicans.

Such a bill would need to include deep spending cuts and a grab bag of MAGA priorities to make it acceptable to almost all the far right-wing members of his caucus.

If McCarthy succeeds in jamming such a measure through the House, it would likely hit a brick wall in the Senate where Democrats and Republicans mostly agree on the need for a so-called clean continuing resolution that would keep spending levels flat.

The two sides would then try to hash out a compromise that could avert a shutdown before Sunday.

Lawler portrays himself as a can-do bipartisan dealmaker. Analysts say burnishing that image is essential if he is to turn away a challenge from either Democratic ex-Rep. Mondaire Jones or Katonah school board member Elizabeth Geraghty, the sister of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.