House Speaker McCarthy to GOP Members: Fund the Government or Spend Every Weekend Working

House lawmakers had better enjoy their weekend, because House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., warned GOP members on Thursday that it will be their last days off from work until they fund the government.

McCarthy made the announcement during a closed-door GOP conference meeting. He said that starting next week, the House will not recess until passing a government funding bill.

The funding deadline is Sept. 30 and House Republicans have yet to unify around a plan for keeping the government open.

Some ultraconservatives have threatened to shut down the government unless they get spending cuts and changes to border policy, among other demands.

McCarthy explained to House Republicans during the conference meeting that the party has never won anything from shutting down the government, Rep. Tom Cole said.

"It's just a stupid tactic," the Oklahoma Republican told The Messenger. "It will not work. It has not worked. They can't show us why it would work this time."

Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., also confirmed McCarthy warning colleagues about potential blowback from grinding things to a halt in Washington, noting, “This is a conversation that we all constantly have.”

Some of the most conservative members of the House are on board with McCarthy's strategy.

"Speaker McCarthy told us that starting next week, we aren’t leaving until we get government funding done," Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., posted on social media from the meeting. "This is exactly what we should be doing."

After the meeting Greene spoke with reporters and made clear to distance herself from the rabble-rousing House Freedom Caucus, which booted her out over the summer.

“I’m not a member of the burn-it-all-down-caucus anymore,” she said.

Other Republicans confirmed leaving the meeting that McCarthy said the House will stay in session after it returns Monday until they coalesce around government funding legislation.

"The speaker was very candid with the members that we've got to get to a point where we reach agreement, that it is not in the best interest of anyone in serving the American people, to see a government shutdown," Rep. Marc Molinaro, R-N.Y., said. "And I agree."

Keeping the government open and functioning to ensure "public safety, national security, access to services the American people rely on" is a "fundamental responsibility" of Congress, Molinaro said.

He said he would support a clean government funding extension to provide "breathing room necessary to get to to agreement on appropriation bills."

That's what leadership is advocating but ultraconservatives in the House Freedom Caucus are demanding any stopgap funding bill still include spending cuts and policy changes.

"I do not want to back a [stopgap] that has anything to do with Nancy Pelosi," Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., said, referring to the fact that a funding extension would continue policies and spending levels approved last Congress under when the California Democrat lead the House.

Warren Rojas contributed to this report.