U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled a new plan on Nov. 11 to keep the federal government operational, which notably excludes additional funding for Ukraine, as reported by AP.
With only five legislative days remaining until the federal government shutdown deadline, lawmakers are racing to reach a consensus.
“This two-step continuing resolution is crucial to position House Republicans for conservative victories… The bill will stop the holiday-season omnibus tradition of excessive spending bills introduced just before the Christmas recess,” he informed congressional leaders.
Johnson’s proposal does not include additional funding for Israel and Ukraine, as requested by the Biden Administration.
He described the initiative as putting “conference in the best position to fight for fiscal responsibility, oversight over Ukraine aid, and meaningful policy changes at our Southern border.”
The White House criticized the plan as a threat to U.S. national security.
“This proposal is a recipe for more Republican chaos and more shutdowns… House Republicans need to stop wasting time on their political divisions, do their jobs, and work in a bipartisan way to prevent a shutdown,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
“An Extreme Republican Shutdown would put critical national security and domestic priorities at risk, including by forcing service members to work without pay… This comes just days after House Republicans were forced to pull two of their own extreme appropriations bills from the floor—further deepening their dysfunction.”
The United States’ fiscal condition has significantly deteriorated with national debt exceeding $33 trillion as servicing costs raise exponentially.
In a historic move on Nov. 10, credit rating agency Moody’s downgraded U.S. sovereign debt to “negative” outlook citing increased political instability and unsustainable levels of spending coupled with high rates.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. has disbursed over $75 billion in aid to Kyiv.
Read also: US House Speaker Mike Johnson to support defense funding for Israel but not Ukraine
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