WASHINGTON — Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) who is known for asking Donald Trump for a pardon for Jan. 6, 2021, tweeted that he finally reached an agreement for the speaker spot but was cagey on what the actual deal was.
"We’re at a turning point. I’ve negotiated in good faith, with one purpose: to restore the People’s House back to its rightful owners. The framework for an agreement is in place, so in a good-faith effort, I voted to restore the People’s House by voting for [GOP Leader] Kevin McCarthy," he wrote on Friday.
When the media finally got specifics about the deal that moved him and others to vote for Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), it was that the fringe members wanted to eliminate spending going forward.
The role of Congress is to allocate spending to support services to taxpayers, but the far-right members are looking for ways to cut the role of government. The members are seeking a balanced budget, they claim, but have been unwilling to support any revenue enhancements. In fact, they cut taxes to the ultra-wealthy in the 2017 tax cut once they had power in the House, Senate and White House, which only added to the deficit.
"What is important is to put to rest out-of-control spending and that is very much a part of the deal," Perry told reporters.
NBC News confirmed the claim, noting that the agreement is for the GOP to present a balanced budget over the course of ten years that would use 2022 as the baseline for the model.
The members went on to say that they would refuse to get into the details.
President Joe Biden's 2023 budget made a big step toward reducing the deficit for the first time in years. Throughout the course of Donald Trump's administration, there was no effort to balance the budget. The 2023 deficit would add $1.1 trillion. Which is down from the $1.4 trillion deficit estimated for 2022 and $2.8 trillion 2020 deficit, Forbes reported last year.
The other demand is more nebulous. Perry said he wants “conservative representation” in the chamber that “represents the face of America." It's unclear whether that means he wants racial diversity, gender diversity, economic diversity or political diversity. Regardless, the far-right has been unwilling to support legislation that is overwhelmingly supported by Americans like background checks on guns or an assault weapons ban, both of which are supported by over 50 percent of Americans.
With additional reporting by Matt Laslo
