Top Democrats are keeping their own lawyers on whether they will help implement House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to avoid a partial government shutdown at the finish line this week.
Despite initially grumbling about Johnson’s (R-La.) pitch for a rare two-step continuing resolution to keep federal operations going after 11:59 p.m. Friday, Democrats expressed relief Monday at the lack of spending cuts in the plan.
“For now, I am pleased that Speaker Johnson appears to be moving in our direction by advancing a CR that does not include the partisan cuts that Democrats have warned about,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Monday, adding that his chamber would set aside and let the House test the plan first.
Schumer stopped short of officially endorsing the proposal and referred to complaints about the complex nature of Johnson’s so-called “staircase” approach.
Hakeem Jeffries doubts whether he will support Speaker Mike Johnson’s “stepped CR” approach.REUTERS
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) summed up much of the sentiment among his party in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday.
“It seems gimmicky to me, but I’m open to what the House talks about,” Murphy said. “The priority is to keep the government open.”
Enough House Republicans have opposed Johnson’s plan to destroy it if Democrats don’t intervene.
Since ascending to the speakership, Mike Johnson has faced a tough spending fight like the one that ousted his predecessor.Tamara Beckwith/NY Post
“I’m not going to make a judge whether I’m going to veto or I’m going to sign,” President Biden told reporters Monday. “Let’s wait and see what they come up with.”
Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives largely echoed Schumer in a Monday letter to members, saying they were “carefully evaluating the proposals set forth by Republican leadership and discussing them with members.”
“We remain concerned about the continued division of resolutions,” they added.
Democrats are frustrated that the House has yet to address the additional request.REUTERS
Under Johnson’s plan, announced on Saturday, the government would be fully funded until January 19, 2024. On that date, some of the government’s discretionary funding would expire, with the remainder ending on February 2.
By the first deadline, Congress must pass four appropriations bills that fund the Department of Transportation; Department of Housing and Urban Development; military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs; energy and water development; as well as the Department of Agriculture, rural development, and the Food and Drug Administration.
By the second deadline, lawmakers must complete eight remaining bills – including those for defense provisions.
Mike Johnson said he has met with various groups in his caucus to come up with a plan. Getty Images
Traditionally, Congress must pass 12 appropriations bills each fiscal year to fund the government. So far, no one has cleared the two halls.
Traditionally, there are 12 appropriations bills that Congress must pass each new fiscal year to fund the government. So far no one has cleaned the two halls.
Johnson can only afford to lose four Republicans in the GOP-controlled House if he wants to pass legislation solely with support from his party.
“I voted NO to both previous CRs and I voted NO to this clean CR. We need to complete the application and the Senate needs to do their job. NO MONEY TO UKRAINE! CLOSE THE BORDERS! STOP ARMED GOVERNMENT!” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Saturday.
I voted NO to both previous CRs and I voted NO to this clean CR.
We need to complete the application and the Senate needs to do their job.
NO MONEY TO UKRAINE!
CLOSE THE BORDERS!
STOP ARMED GOVERNMENT!
IMPEACH BIDEN, MAYORKAS, WRAY, GARLAND, AND GRAVE! https://t.co/X8baKyXUDm
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene?? (@RepMTG) November 11, 2023
I will not support a status quo that fails to recognize fiscal irresponsibility, and change nothing while emboldening a do-nothing Senate and a fiscally illiterate President.
— RepScottPerry (@RepScottPerry) November 13, 2023
“I will not support a status quo that fails to acknowledge fiscal irresponsibility, and does nothing to change while emboldening a do-nothing Senate and a fiscally illiterate President,” said House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry (R-Pa.) .
Matters are complicated by the fact that Rep. Mike Ezell (R-Miss.) plan to skip the vote this week because of the death of his mother.
Despite the setbacks and defections, one key Republican supported the measure: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
“House Republicans have produced responsible measures that will keep the lights on, avoid dangerous losses in government funding, and provide the time and space to get that important work done,” he said on the Senate floor Monday.
Congress is scrambling to figure out how to prevent a government shutdown on Friday.Getty Images
Fierce internal Republican divisions over how to avoid a government shutdown on Sept. 30 ultimately led to the ouster of then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)
McCarthy proposed a 47-day recess to allow time for Congress to complete the appropriations process. However, Republican lawmakers lost crucial negotiating time by firing McCarthy and took more than three weeks to choose his replacement.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who led the rebellion against McCarthy, suggested that he would be more forgiving of Johnson.
“I’m not voting for a clean CR,” Gaetz told CNN last week, before Johnson unveiled his measure. “He never promised he wouldn’t, unlike the last guy.”
“I think there is a willingness to give Speaker Johnson a little more grace than Speaker McCarthy.”
The Dewan Rakyat was busy with the fight for the position of speaker last month.REUTERS
So far, the House has passed at least seven appropriations bills, while the Senate has only advanced the equivalent of three “minibus” bills.
The two chambers also remain at loggerheads over top-line numbers, but Johnson has expressed confidence that Congress will avoid a shutdown.
“I’ve been working around the clock, literally, for the last few days meeting with a subgroup of members in my House Republican Conference,” Johnson told The Post last week.
“I myself have been at the table through this discussion. And I think it has the desired effect of showing members that we’re serious about how we’re going to change the way Washington operates, the way we do business here and this is a big part of that.”
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