House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is moving forward with a plan to pass a short-term funding bill through March to avoid a partial government shutdown this week — infuriating Republicans who called it a “surrender” to “policy Biden.”
“Last week, House Republicans reached a better topline agreement that will finally allow the House and Senate to complete the annual appropriations bill,” Johnson said in a statement Sunday, confirming the $1.66 trillion spending deal he reached with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D -NY). .
The top deal would extend government funding at current levels until March 1 and 8, respectively, with $888 billion earmarked for defense spending and $704 billion in discretionary spending.
Another $69 billion will be added to discretionary spending levels following a side deal negotiated by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) with the White House as part of last year’s bill to raise the debt ceiling, known as the Act Fiscal Responsibility.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is moving forward with a plan to pass a short-term funding bill through March to avoid a partial government shutdown this week. AP In a statement Sunday, Johnson reaffirmed the $1.66 trillion spending deal he reached with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Ron Adar / M10s / SplashNews.com
Johnson in his statement reiterated his defense of Schumer’s deal, insisting that it would eliminate “the worst gimmicks included in previous side deals in the Fiscal Responsibility Act,” while maintaining a $10 billion cut to the IRS and a $6 billion clawback. unused COVID relief funds.
“As the completion deadline is upon us, a short continuing resolution is needed to accomplish what House Republicans are working to accomplish: an end to omnibus governance, meaningful policy wins and better oversight of American tax dollars,” Johnson added.
Ten minutes after Johnson’s statement, the conservative House Freedom Caucus posted on X: “This is what surrender looks like.”
Ten minutes after that statement, the conservative House Freedom Caucus, led by Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), pictured above, posted on X: “This is what surrender looks like.” AP
“@HouseGOP plans to pass a short-term spending bill that continues Pelosi’s level with Biden’s policies, to buy time to pass a long-term spending bill at Pelosi’s level with Biden’s policies.”
Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good (R-Va.) and other members came to Johnson’s office last week to try and persuade him to back out of the deal with Schumer.
But the speaker appeared Friday afternoon and told reporters, “Our top-line agreement remains,” urging his conference to approve the measure and move quickly “toward a robust appropriations process.”
But the speaker appeared Friday afternoon and told reporters, “Our online agreement remains,” urging his conference to approve the measure. MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
“It brings Congress closer to regular order, which is our big commitment here,” Johnson said, referring to the traditional 12-bill appropriations process to fund the federal government that has not been completed in any fiscal year since 1996.
Other House lawmakers, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), hoping the speaker will extend any continuing resolution past April 30, locked in a 1% reduction to the federal budget that McCarthy had included in the debt ceiling deal if Congress did not return to normal order by then.
“The White House and the Senate are desperate to raise the debt limit, and so they agreed to lower spending and the spending limit,” Massie told The Post last week, adding that “they reneged on the deal” with the Johnson-Schumer deal on the line.
Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good (R-Va.) and other members gathered at Johnson’s office last week to persuade him to pull out of the deal with Schumer. MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Schumer, who cheered the “compromise” he reached with Johnson in a floor speech last week, plans to have the Senate vote on the funding measure Tuesday.
Johnson and House Republicans were united, however, in their opposition to a draft leaked from the deal made by Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) to improve border security, which increases the number of green card holders to 50,000 a year and still allows 5,000 immigrants to be processed each day into the US.
“Absolutely not,” the House speaker posted on X in response to the suggestion.
Johnson and House Republicans have been united, however, in their opposition to a leaked draft deal created by Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) to improve border security. AP
Lankford negotiated the deal with Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) during the holiday break to reform US border policy for the first time in decades.
Both bills are expected to receive support from Democrats but will need the votes of a handful of moderate Republicans to pass the narrowly divided House.
“I think you’re going to get to the point where he’s just going to have to say, ‘Hey, look, you’re either with me or you’re not. And if you’re not with me, we’re going to have to find the votes to support this and do the work for the American people. ,’” Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) told the Washington Post over the weekend of the state of negotiations.
“Remember, he is the Speaker of the House. He’s not just a Republican Party speaker.”
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