In 2022, GOP senators said lame ducks must heed voters. Now they push a party-line bill

Four years ago, Democrats were about to lose the House. Six Republican senators wrote to their leader, Mitch McConnell, saying the outgoing Congress should not lock in big spending decisions before the new majority arrived. "The American people sent an unmistakable message in the November midterm elections," their Dec. 7, 2022, letter said ²³.

Now the roles are reversed. Democrats won majorities in both chambers this month, and those majorities take over on Jan. 3 ¹¹. Three of the 2022 letter's signers are among the Republicans pressing their party to push through its own priorities before then: Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Mike Lee of Utah ³⁶⁷.

What they said then

The 2022 letter was signed by Johnson, Scott, Lee, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Braun of Indiana. They opposed passing an omnibus, one giant spending bill, in the lame-duck session. Instead they wanted a short-term funding bill, called a continuing resolution, that would carry the government into the new Congress ²³. They wrote that the omnibus "would utterly disempower the new Republican House from enacting our shared priorities" ³.

Locking the new Congress into yet another year of Democrat policies would flout the will of the voters

House conservatives said the same thing even earlier. In August 2022, the House Freedom Caucus, in a letter led by Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, urged Republican leaders to "reject any attempt to pass a FY 2023 omnibus appropriations measure this Congress." The letter also asked them to "rule out any 'continuing resolution' that does not extend funding to the 118th Congress" ⁴.

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What they say now

On Nov. 9, the Freedom Caucus board sent Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune a list of eight priorities for the lame-duck session. The list includes a third reconciliation bill, a spending freeze and writing President Trump's border policies into law ⁵. The letter says Republicans should "deny" Democrats "every legislative leverage point possible" ⁵.

Reconciliation is a special budget process. It lets Republicans pass a bill without any Democratic votes, getting around the 60-vote threshold that most bills need in the Senate ⁸¹¹. Trump has called on Senate leaders to move right away on a $350 billion reconciliation bill for the Pentagon ¹.

In the Senate, Johnson led a failed effort on Nov. 10 to delay Thune's re-election as Republican leader, and he walked out as the voting began ⁶. Scott, Lee and others signed a letter asking for a party meeting before any leadership vote ⁷. Scott said any leader must explain how Republicans would pass items like the SAVE America Act before Democrats take over ⁷. "We need a plan to get the Republican agenda done," he said ⁶. He also sent a letter calling for a reconciliation bill that balances the budget and includes a voter ID bill ¹⁰.

it's not going to be an easy lift but I'm ready to do it if leadership, if the White House, wants to act.

Not every Republican is on board

One 2022 signer has kept the same position. Paul called a war-funding package "tone-deaf." He said passing anything to further or enhance the Iran war would not be listening to the electorate ⁸. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said he could not imagine why Republicans would do that ⁸.

The votes may not be there. Johnson, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, said Nov. 11, "Right now, I'm not getting engagement from the White House, from either Senate or House leadership" ⁸. Thune said what matters is "what you can get 50 votes for here and 218 in the House." Speaker Johnson has reportedly told Senate leaders he does not think he can get the votes ¹.

The White House is still wanting to go it alone and we saw what that got us 10 days ago.

Why it matters

Government funding runs out Dec. 11. A shutdown would be the third of Trump's second term ¹. Democrats warn that pushing a Pentagon bill through on party lines could wreck talks to keep the government open. Asked whether it would poison the well, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said yes ¹.

any kind of tricks or gimmicks certainly threatens a potential agreement.

Some Republicans agree. Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said a reconciliation push would absolutely raise the risk of a shutdown ¹. Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on House Appropriations, said no one wants a continuing resolution that goes through next year ⁹. Negotiators are looking at a short-term bill that would keep agencies running into April ¹.

The pattern is clear. In 2022, these Republicans argued that an outgoing majority should leave big choices to the majority voters had just elected. Some will say the two cases differ, since 2022 was a full-year spending bill and this would be a defense bill. But the 2022 letter put its case in terms of "the will of the voters" ², and it carved out no exception for the party that lost.

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans expect to confirm 23 more of Trump's nominees for federal judgeships before Democrats take control ¹.

The Record

1. Aug 15, 2022The House Freedom Caucus urges GOP leaders to reject a lame-duck omnibus and carry funding into the 118th Congress ⁴
2. Dec 7, 2022Six GOP senators, including Scott, Johnson, Lee and Paul, write that a lame-duck omnibus would 'flout the will of the voters' ²³
3. Nov 9, 2026After losing both chambers, the Freedom Caucus asks GOP leaders for a third reconciliation bill and other lame-duck priorities ⁵
4. Nov 10, 2026Thune is re-elected Senate GOP leader after Johnson's delay effort fails; Scott says 'We need a plan to get the Republican agenda done' ⁶
5. Nov 13, 2026GOP senators warn that Trump's $350 billion reconciliation push could raise the risk of a Dec. 11 shutdown ¹

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<h2>In 2022, GOP senators said lame ducks must heed voters. Now they push a party-line bill</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Receipts Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/in-2022-gop-senators-said-lame-ducks-must-heed-voters-now-they-push-a-party-line">The GOP Files</a> on Saturday, November 14, 2026.</em></p> <p>Four years ago, Democrats were about to lose the House. Six Republican senators wrote to their leader, Mitch McConnell, saying the outgoing Congress should not lock in big spending decisions before the new majority arrived. &quot;The American people sent an unmistakable message in the November midterm elections,&quot; their Dec. 7, 2022, letter said .</p> <p>Now the roles are reversed. Democrats won majorities in both chambers this month, and those majorities take over on Jan. 3 . Three of the 2022 letter&#39;s signers are among the Republicans pressing their party to push through its own priorities before then: Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Mike Lee of Utah .</p> <h2>What they said then</h2> <p>The 2022 letter was signed by Johnson, Scott, Lee, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Braun of Indiana. They opposed passing an omnibus, one giant spending bill, in the lame-duck session. Instead they wanted a short-term funding bill, called a continuing resolution, that would carry the government into the new Congress . They wrote that the omnibus &quot;would utterly disempower the new Republican House from enacting our shared priorities&quot; .</p> <blockquote><p>Locking the new Congress into yet another year of Democrat policies would flout the will of the voters</p><p>&mdash; Rick Scott, U.S. senator, R-Fla., in a Dec. 7, 2022, letter he signed with five other Republican senators</p></blockquote> <p>House conservatives said the same thing even earlier. In August 2022, the House Freedom Caucus, in a letter led by Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, urged Republican leaders to &quot;reject any attempt to pass a FY 2023 omnibus appropriations measure this Congress.&quot; The letter also asked them to &quot;rule out any &#39;continuing resolution&#39; that does not extend funding to the 118th Congress&quot; .</p> <h2>What they say now</h2> <p>On Nov. 9, the Freedom Caucus board sent Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune a list of eight priorities for the lame-duck session. The list includes a third reconciliation bill, a spending freeze and writing President Trump&#39;s border policies into law . The letter says Republicans should &quot;deny&quot; Democrats &quot;every legislative leverage point possible&quot; .</p> <p>Reconciliation is a special budget process. It lets Republicans pass a bill without any Democratic votes, getting around the 60-vote threshold that most bills need in the Senate . Trump has called on Senate leaders to move right away on a $350 billion reconciliation bill for the Pentagon .</p> <p>In the Senate, Johnson led a failed effort on Nov. 10 to delay Thune&#39;s re-election as Republican leader, and he walked out as the voting began . Scott, Lee and others signed a letter asking for a party meeting before any leadership vote . Scott said any leader must explain how Republicans would pass items like the SAVE America Act before Democrats take over . &quot;We need a plan to get the Republican agenda done,&quot; he said . He also sent a letter calling for a reconciliation bill that balances the budget and includes a voter ID bill .</p> <blockquote><p>it&#39;s not going to be an easy lift but I&#39;m ready to do it if leadership, if the White House, wants to act.</p><p>&mdash; Ron Johnson, U.S. senator and Senate Budget Committee chair, R-Wis.</p></blockquote> <h2>Not every Republican is on board</h2> <p>One 2022 signer has kept the same position. Paul called a war-funding package &quot;tone-deaf.&quot; He said passing anything to further or enhance the Iran war would not be listening to the electorate . Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said he could not imagine why Republicans would do that .</p> <p>The votes may not be there. Johnson, who chairs the Senate Budget Committee, said Nov. 11, &quot;Right now, I&#39;m not getting engagement from the White House, from either Senate or House leadership&quot; . Thune said what matters is &quot;what you can get 50 votes for here and 218 in the House.&quot; Speaker Johnson has reportedly told Senate leaders he does not think he can get the votes .</p> <blockquote><p>The White House is still wanting to go it alone and we saw what that got us 10 days ago.</p><p>&mdash; Thom Tillis, U.S. senator, R-N.C.</p></blockquote> <h2>Why it matters</h2> <p>Government funding runs out Dec. 11. A shutdown would be the third of Trump&#39;s second term . Democrats warn that pushing a Pentagon bill through on party lines could wreck talks to keep the government open. Asked whether it would poison the well, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said yes .</p> <blockquote><p>any kind of tricks or gimmicks certainly threatens a potential agreement.</p><p>&mdash; Richard Blumenthal, U.S. senator, D-Conn.</p></blockquote> <p>Some Republicans agree. Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said a reconciliation push would absolutely raise the risk of a shutdown . Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrat on House Appropriations, said no one wants a continuing resolution that goes through next year . Negotiators are looking at a short-term bill that would keep agencies running into April .</p> <p>The pattern is clear. In 2022, these Republicans argued that an outgoing majority should leave big choices to the majority voters had just elected. Some will say the two cases differ, since 2022 was a full-year spending bill and this would be a defense bill. But the 2022 letter put its case in terms of &quot;the will of the voters&quot; , and it carved out no exception for the party that lost.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Senate Republicans expect to confirm 23 more of Trump&#39;s nominees for federal judgeships before Democrats take control .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/in-2022-gop-senators-said-lame-ducks-must-heed-voters-now-they-push-a-party-line">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/in-2022-gop-senators-said-lame-ducks-must-heed-voters-now-they-push-a-party-line.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. The Hill (via Yahoo News), “GOP senators warn Trump push for Pentagon funding risks shutdown” (2026-11-13). yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/gop-senators-warn-trump-pus
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3. Office of Sen. Ron Johnson (senate.gov), “Sen. Ron Johnson, Colleagues: Congress Should Oppose Pelosi-Schumer Spending Spree, Support Short-Term CR” (2022-12-07). ronjohnson.senate.gov/2022/12/07/2022-12-sen-ron-johnson-col
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6. AP (via ABC7 San Francisco), “Senate Republicans vote to keep Thune as leader after steep election losses” (2026-11-10). abc7news.com/story/senate-republicans-vote-keep-thune-leader
7. Fox News, “Sen. Rick Scott withholds support for Thune ahead of lame-duck session” (2026-11-10). foxnews.com/politics/gop-senator-withholds-support-thune-lea
8. Newsmax Wires (via Yahoo News), “Senate GOP Split Over Final Pentagon Funding Push” (2026-11-11). yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/senate-gop-split-over-final
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11. Liberty Nation, “The GOP's Lame Duck Session: Last Call or Last Gasp?” (2026-11-11). libertynation.com/will-the-gop-blow-away-the-lame-duck-sessi

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