GOP Rep. Gonzales Has ‘No Doubt’ We Are Headed Towards Government Shutdown

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, said Sunday he has "no doubt" the country is facing a government shutdown.

House members are currently racing against the clock to get a federal budget passed before the fiscal year ends in less than a week.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has struggled to get House Republicans like Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., to support a spending bill or continuing resolution.

Gaetz and others have called for deeper spending cuts while House Democrats have urged McCarthy to support a previously-negotiated deal with President Joe Biden.

Gaetz dug his heels in on Sunday, saying a partial federal government shutdown is "better" than "financial ruin."

"I don't want to see a shutdown," Gonzales said Sunday on "Face the Nation." "But there is no doubt in my mind that the country is headed for a shutdown, and everyone should prepare as such."

The Republican congressman resisted calls for a continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government. Such a step would simply "kick the can down the road," according to Gonzales.

"In my experience, if you give Congress more time, they’re just going to take that time. Time does not equal solutions. The exact opposite – If there is a hard cliff, then they are forced to come together, and that’s what I think we need," he said.