Trouble looms for Speaker Johnson as the deadline to avert a government shutdown approaches

The US government is days from shutting down again as the House of Representatives cannot agree on a budget. The recently elected Speaker, Mike Johnson, has put forward a stopgap funding strategy that consists of two parts. Under this strategy, one-third of the government will be funded until January, while two-thirds will be funded until February. The plan was originally proposed by Representative Andy Harris and has been met with skepticism from Democrats. The Speaker will need the Democratic votes to pass any bill through the chamber, with members of his own party already voicing their opposition to the plan.

The lattered approach circulates on Capitol Hill

Rep. Harris has defended the proposal, describing it as “a way to get the broken appropriations process back on track,” which the congressman sees as particularly important after the federal government’s credit score was downgraded to AA+ from AAA in August.

On X, formally known as Twitter, Speaker Johnson explained the plan.

“The two-step continuing resolution is a necessary bill to place House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories,” said the Speaker, adding that it was the caucus’ best bet to “stop the absurd holiday-season omnibus tradition of massive, loaded up spending bills introduced right before the Christmas recess.”

Do Democrats support the approach?

The funding packages do not include any allocations for Israel or Ukraine. These omissions could limit its popularity among the Democrats, and the Speaker cannot afford to lose many votes from his colleagues on the other side of the aisle. On the upside, the benefit for the Democrats is that it keeps the government funded at the current levels for the next two months. Though considering the deadline for those spending levels would lapse in early 2024, it is unclear how attractive this offer will be.

Views from the Senate

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy said on Meet the Press that he supports the bill but takes issue with its lack of support for Israel. “I don’t like this lattered CR,” said the Senator, describing it as “gimmicky” but adding that he is “open to what the House is talking about.” The Senate has already passed a bipartisan bill to keep the government open, which includes funding for Israel and Ukraine.

From the White House, opposition to Speaker Johnson’s proposal has been made clear.

“This proposal is just a recipe for more Republican chaos and more shutdowns—full stop. With just days left before an Extreme Republican Shutdown—and after shutting down Congress for three weeks after they ousted their own leader—House Republicans are wasting precious time with an unserious proposal that has been panned by members of both parties,” reads the statement issued by the Biden administration.

However, the president also told the press that he would like to see the final bill passed before confirming whether or not he would use his veto power.