Speaker Mike Johnson braces for looming government shutdown deadline
Speaker Mike Johnson faces a critical challenge this week as he attempts to avert a government shutdown With just four days left, his two-step plan to keep the government open will be put to the test on the House floor This is a significant moment for the new speaker as he tackles his first major legislative hurdle
House Speaker Mike Johnson's strategy to prevent a government shutdown after November 17 is expected to encounter a significant challenge during the House floor proceedings this week. This pivotal moment poses a crucial test for the newly appointed speaker, who must navigate his first major legislative hurdle within a tight four-day timeframe to avert a shutdown crisis.
Notably, Johnson is already encountering opposition from the conservative faction within his party, who have swiftly condemned his plan on various social media platforms and have pledged to oppose it through voting. This predicament places him in a position where he will likely need the support of Democratic lawmakers to secure the necessary votes for the bill's passage before the imminent Friday deadline.
"The existing proposal for short-term funding encompasses a 1-year extension of the Farm Bill without any reforms, maintaining the current policies and funding levels. This is extremely disappointing, to say the least. I will vote against it," expressed Rep. Warren Davidson, an Ohio Republican. "Hopefully, this consensus will lead to a more reasonable bill," he added.
Additional criticism of the bill came from other conservatives, such as Rep. Chip Roy, a prominent member of the House Freedom Caucus.
My opposition to the clean CR announced by the Speaker to the House GOP is extremely strong. Allocating funds for Pelosi level spending and policies for 75 days is concerning, as they are only future promises," he tweeted Saturday.
Making things more difficult for Johnson, Democrats have not yet made a decision on whether they will support his idea. This leaves him in a position where his first major piece of legislation may be unable to pass through the House.
Many people disregarded last week's two-step plan, considering it messy and unnecessary. However, several lawmakers informed CNN that they are still receptive to the plan, considering it does not incorporate any significant spending cuts, which was a red line.
U.S. Capitol Police guard the East Front at sunrise in Washington, DC, on October 25, 2023. House Republicans have chosen Rep. Michael Johnson (R-LA) as their new candidate for Speaker of the House, succeeding former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) who was removed on October 4 by a faction of conservative members within his party.
Concerned about the possibility of a federal government shutdown? Share your thoughts with us.
Under Johnson's proposed spending plan, government agencies such as the military, Veterans Affairs, transportation, housing and urban development, and energy and water would receive funding through mid-January. However, funding for the remaining government agencies would expire on a separate date, February 2.
Many Democrats have criticized the plan as a gimmick, but they also recognize that it cannot be completely dismissed due to time constraints and the divided control of Congress. In a recent interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Sen. Chris Murphy stated, "We will proceed in the Senate with a clean CR, avoiding any gimmicks or strategies. I am concerned about the House process, which requires dealing with half the budget on different dates. This seems like a recipe for failure. However, I am open to hearing their case. Ideally, I prefer the Senate's approach of passing a continuing resolution that keeps the entire government open until the same date."
According to sources, Democrats are currently observing from the sidelines, waiting to see how Johnson handles his own conference.
A significant challenge for Johnson will be to determine whether he can successfully secure a procedural vote for the spending bill referred to as the rule. Traditionally, it is the responsibility of the majority party to pass it, but during former Speaker Kevin McCarthy's leadership, conservatives frequently voted against GOP rules to emphasize their political stance.
It is uncertain whether Johnson will be given more flexibility or if the opposition to the rule will compel Johnson to attempt passing the bill under a suspension of the rules, which would necessitate a two-thirds majority for approval.
McCarthy's choice to pass the previous short-term spending bill under a suspension of the rules ultimately resulted in him losing his job.
During a private call on Saturday, Johnson tried to explain to his members that the conference had wasted valuable time during a three-week competition to pass individual spending bills. He suggested that a two-part short-term spending bill would give Republicans the most bargaining power in negotiations over year-long spending bills for the following year. Johnson also emphasized that if Democrats in the Senate refused his plan, he would resort to proposing a year-long spending bill with reductions to non-defense programs, a move that Democrats would also adamantly oppose.
House Republicans have faced difficulties in finding common ground on spending, similar to their struggles under McCarthy. Their disagreements over two year-long spending bills for transportation and housing, as well as financial services and general government, led to their withdrawal last week due to infighting. Democrats have suggested that this reflects a lack of leverage on the part of the Republicans in this battle. "Speaker Johnson's decision to adopt the extreme laddered CR approach of the Freedom Caucus will only result in an increase in shutdown showdowns," stated Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the leading Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, on Sunday.
House Republicans' inability to effectively pass two spending bills last week, which were deemed so objectionable that they had to be withdrawn from the floor to prevent failure during final passage, exemplifies their failure to implement their radical agenda," DeLauro pointed out.
"We have not made any progress towards a comprehensive funding agreement since the end of September. It is imperative that Congress prevents a government shutdown and approves a CR that expedites the enactment of full-year spending bills and emergency assistance without delay."
CNNs Manu Raju contributed to this report.
