RSC-proposed cuts appear headed for defeat as Republicans oppose

In contrast, he said, the Jordan bill cuts “everything, indiscriminately, in a heavy-handed way.”

Another Republican, Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.), called the amendment is “misguided,” and said cuts in the committee were done “surgically” with “deliberate intent.”

“Across-the-board cuts are a lazy way to achieve something,” added Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.), and Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.) also spoke in opposition, saying the proposal would cut some national-security items. Reps. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-N.J.), Frank Wolf (R-Va.), Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), Kay Granger (R-Texas) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) also spoke against the bill.

As expected, Democrats were also quick to pounce on the RSC proposal.

“This is a meat axe approach on top of a meat axe approach,” Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) said, noting that the underlying bill already includes significant cuts. “It’s a double meat axe approach.”

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) objected to Lungren’s idea that the amendment was a “lazy” approach. “This government is over-spent, we have to get it under control,” she said. Several freshman Republicans also spoke in favor of the measure.

Still, many House Republicans have already rejected more than $4 billion in proposed cuts to the spending bill throughout the week, which called into question whether enough Republicans would be able to support Jordan’s amendment.

— This story was updated at 1:30 p.m.