In Washington, House Speaker Mike Johnson is taking a unique approach to prevent a potential government shutdown. A notice sent to lawmakers late Monday night indicated the House would consider his plan on Tuesday.
The stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution, will be put to a vote under a procedure called suspension of the rules. This allows the bill to bypass the House Rules Committee. However, this requires a two-thirds majority to pass the House and cannot be amended.
Johnson’s approach mirrors that of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy who successfully prevented a shutdown, but at a cost to his speakership. It remains to be seen whether Johnson’s reliance on Democrats will result in a similar outcome.
The bill unveiled by Johnson extends government funding at current levels for some agencies until Jan. 19 and others until Feb. 2. It does not include steep spending cuts demanded by conservatives, but also doesn’t provide funding for Ukraine, Israel, and the southern border.
While some Republicans have expressed opposition to Johnson’s plan, it nonetheless remains a potential solution to avert a government shutdown, with the House Rules Committee failing to advance the bill.
If approved, the bill would allow the federal government to remain open through mid-November, preventing a repeat of the September deal which left the lower chamber paralyzed for three weeks as Republicans failed to come to a consensus.
Johnson is exploring a “laddered” continuing resolution strategy, extending funding for different lengths of time for individual appropriations bills. This has raised optimism among Democrats and the President who signaled openness to signing the bill if Congress passes it.
While the focus remains on mitigating cuts and ensuring defense spending is included, the Senate delayed a vote on the legislative vehicle for the funding extension, choosing to allow the House to move first with their proposal.
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