WASHINGTON — The White House views the election of House Speaker Mike Johnson as a pivotal moment for bipartisan cooperation. They are now exploring the possibility of reaching a spending agreement with him to avoid a government shutdown within the next three weeks, as reported by White House officials.
According to one official, “We won’t make assumptions about the new speakership on day two.”
Officials reveal that President , who is not acquainted with Johnson, intends to work together with the new speaker to secure additional aid for Ukraine and Israel, as well as address domestic priorities. However, the White House needs to assess Johnson’s leadership style before committing to a larger legislative strategy.
Time is short, as the White House and Congress must reach an agreement on federal spending to prevent a government shutdown.
White House officials state that while they haven’t determined whether another short-term measure is the ideal solution to avoid a shutdown, it remains a possibility. The priority is to protect Americans from the economic repercussions of a shutdown. Additionally, officials underscore that the president will oppose any Republican proposal that reduces spending below the agreed levels to avoid a default.
While it’s premature to predict the relationship between Biden and Johnson, the president wasted no time in reaching out to the new speaker. Biden stated in a release, “This is a time for all of us to act responsibly and prioritize the needs of the American people above partisanship.” He congratulated Johnson by phone and expressed his commitment to find common ground.
The following day, Johnson visited the White House at the president’s invitation to receive a classified briefing on national security issues, including the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, which the Biden administration is seeking funding for in the upcoming weeks.
Johnson’s leadership style remains unknown to both parties. Democrats hope that he has a honeymoon period during spending negotiations, allowing him more flexibility than previous Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Johnson has proposed a short-term bill to maintain funding until either January 15 or April 15, depending on colleagues’ preferences, while continuing work on individual appropriations bills. Far-right Republicans who ousted McCarthy for approving a short-term bill have indicated they will give Johnson some leeway.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., expressed her trust in Johnson and her belief that he will make fiscally conservative decisions.
Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., shares the optimism, saying, “I believe him when he says he can prevent a shutdown.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.
