Conservative Republicans didn’t hold back on March 21 over the $1.2 trillion spending bill that would fund 70 percent of the government—as the clock ticked toward a partial government shutdown on March 23.
The bill, the text of which was unveiled in the early morning hours of March 21—less than 48 hours before a shutdown was set to begin—immediately reignited tensions in the Republican conference and concerns about House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) leadership of the lower chamber.
