Hawley: GOP ‘better be ready to fight’ if it gains control of Congress

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., sent a message to fellow Republicans Monday after the Senate passed a massive spending bill that Democrats passed through the budget reconciliation process: fight.

After a marathon voting session over the weekend, Democrats approved the “Inflation Reduction Act,” which will cost more than $400 billion. It’s a watered-down version of the $3 trillion “Rebuilding Better Act” that President Biden pushed through last year.

“I’ll give it to the Dems. With a 50/50 Senate and a historically unpopular president, they passed major (terrible) legislation. A lot,” the Missouri Republican tweeted Monday afternoon. “They came to do something. There’s a lesson for the GOP. If they come back to Congress, they better be ready to fight.”

Key elements include expanding Affordable Care Act subsidies, a package of climate-related spending and tax credits, fossil fuel energy provisions, a minimum corporate tax rate of 15% and above. All Republican senators opposed the bill, and it took negotiations between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and moderate Sen. Joe Manchin, W.Va., to pass it. Manchin had previously blocked his fellow Democrats from passing the Build Back Better Act.

REPUBLICANS SAYS DEMOCRATS WILL ‘PAY THE PRICE’ IN MEANS TO PASS MASSIVE SPENDING BILL

Despite its name, Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have warned that the bill will end up raising inflation. Democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., referred to it as “the so-called ‘inflation cut'” in remarks on the Senate floor, noting that according to the Congressional Budget Office and others , will have “minimal impact”. “about inflation.

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 29: Senator Josh Hawley, (R-MO) speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to examine the Texas abortion law on Capitol Hill on September 29, 2021 in Washington, DC . (Photo by Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images)
((Photo by Tom Williams-Pool/Getty Images))

While the new bill isn’t as expensive as Build Back Better, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said it will cost Democrats dearly at the polls.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Democrats will pay the price in November for raising taxes on families during a recession,” McDaniel said in a statement.

Fox News’ Tyler Olson and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.