WASHINGTON — Congress staved off a government shutdown, at least for now, but the threat remains a worry for some Texas Republicans. 

What You Need To Know

  • A group of 16 House Republicans and one U.S. senator from Texas voted on Saturday against the measure that will keep the government running for 45 days

  • In a sudden turn of events in Congress over the weekend, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy relied on the votes of Democrats to pass legislation funding the government into mid-November

  • The 45-day stopgap measure includes billions of dollars of federal disaster relief but does not contain new money for Ukraine despite a push from the White House

When asked if he is concerned with the possibility, Rep. Keith Self, R-Plano, said, “Absolutely, a shutdown is brutal.”  

Self was among the group of 16 House Republicans and one U.S. senator from Texas who voted on Saturday against the measure that will keep the government running for 45 days.

“I’m also concerned about our middle-class families that are getting crushed by inflation,” Self told Spectrum News. “Middle-class families are paying between $700 and $1,200 more each month.”  

In a sudden turn of events in Congress over the weekend, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy relied on the votes of Democrats to pass legislation funding the government into mid-November. Self said once the text of the bill was presented, it was “inevitable.” 

Two-thirds of the Texas Republicans in Congress voted against the last-minute stop bill, which was approved by both the House and Senate and signed by the president. 

The other Texas Republicans in the U.S. House who voted against the bill besides Self were Brian Babin, Michael Cloud, Pat Fallon, Tony Gonzales, Lance Gooden, Wesley Hunt, Ronny Jackson, Morgan Luttrell, Nathaniel Moran, Troy Nehls, August Pfluger, Chip Roy, Beth Van Duyne, Randy Weber and Roger Williams. 

Now, Self said he is pushing for Congress to make steep spending cuts and would prefer passing 12 separate appropriations bills over one massive spending package.  

“We’ve got to get the government under control. The Washington swamp is real, and that’s why a group of conservatives is trying to change the trajectory of Washington to cut spending and have strong conservative appropriations bills,” Self said.   

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Spectrum News last month he did not think the government should shut down. 

“I hope we don’t. I think having a shutdown would be a mistake,” he said.  

But over the weekend, he voted against the temporary funding bill while Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, voted for it. In a statement, Cruz said, “This continuing resolution does nothing to address the acute crisis at the Texas-Mexico border, itself created by deliberate Democrat policies. I voted no.” 

Cruz’s "no" vote drew immediate criticism from Democrats running against him next year, including Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas. 

In a statement, Allred said, “Cruz was one of a handful of extremist Senators to vote against today’s bipartisan compromise to keep our government open. He again chose partisan politics over paying Texas service members and Border Patrol agents, ensuring new moms and their kids have access to food assistance, and helping small business owners across the state.” 

Allred’s team noted, “Texas is home to nearly a quarter-million active duty service members and civilian federal employees combined, including TSA officers, Border Patrol agents, and other Customs and Border Protection personnel.” 

Meanwhile, a Cruz campaign spokesperson said in a statement, “Kicking the can down the road solves nothing and is an irresponsible way to govern.” 

“Allred is in no place to grandstand about the well-being of the state and nation. Just this past week, at the height of a record-breaking invasion of illegal aliens, Allred voted to block federal funding to help secure the Texas border,” the Cruz campaign spokesperson continued. 

The spokesperson criticized Allred’s vote that sought to stop federal funds preemptively from going to the State of Texas’ controversial multibillion-dollar border initiative. While state officials tout how the initiative has led to more than 34,000 criminal arrests, Democrats have raised concerns about the legality of the state’s hardline approach and how it affects the safety of migrants. 

The 45-day stopgap measure includes billions of dollars of federal disaster relief but does not contain new money for Ukraine despite a push from the White House.  

Self said before supporting such aid, he would like to see changes to the Biden administration’s border policies. 

“Border security and funding at a conservative level have always been my top two priorities,” he said.