U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson Faces Opposition, Potential Democrat Support to Avoid Shutdown
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is encountering obstacles from his fellow Republicans as he tries to prevent a government shutdown. Despite this, he is receiving some tentative backing from Democrats for his proposed measure.
With little senior congressional leadership experience, Johnson is attempting to rally Republican support for a clean two-step continuing resolution (CR) that maintains current federal funding levels until early next year. The aim is to reach an agreement between the Republican-controlled House and the Democratic-led Senate before the Friday deadline when current funding for federal agencies expires.
To avoid another government shutdown, House Republicans plan to vote on the measure on Tuesday. Failure to pass the CR would disrupt pay for millions of federal workers, close national parks, and adversely affect financial oversight and scientific research.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has given provisional support to the proposal, recognizing that Speaker Johnson is moving closer to their position by advancing a CR that does not include the budget cuts Democrats warned against.
However, some hardline House Republicans are threatening to obstruct the bill through procedural roadblocks. Representative Chip Roy, who opposes the measure, intends to block debate to prevent it from passing with bipartisan support, despite facing significant opposition from within his own party.
Critics of the measure argue that it lacks spending cuts and conservative policies, such as stricter U.S.-Mexico border security, while extending food assistance for impoverished families until September 30.
This latest standoff comes in the wake of ongoing partisan gridlock and fractures within the narrow 221-212 House Republican majority. Moody’s recently downgraded its credit rating outlook on the U.S. to negative from stable due to the continuing high interest rates and rising borrowing costs. The nation’s deficit reached $1.695 trillion in the fiscal year ended September 30.
In a bid to avoid a government shutdown, Senate Democrats are hoping to work alongside Republicans. Senate Majority Leader Schumer emphasized that bipartisan cooperation is crucial to prevent another crisis.
Speaker Johnson’s bill seeks to extend funding for various sectors, including military construction, veterans’ benefits, transportation, housing, urban development, agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and energy and water programs until January 19. However, funding for all other federal operations, including defense, would expire on February 2.
Given the slim majority in the House, Speaker Johnson cannot afford to lose more than three party votes on legislation that Democrats oppose. Nevertheless, at least eight Republicans, mainly from the far-right, have vowed to oppose his measure. They argue that the bill preserves policies favored by prominent Democrats such as Senate Majority Leader Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The fate of Johnson’s bill will be determined by a closed-door debate among House Republicans on Tuesday morning. The outcome will influence Johnson’s next steps regarding the CR. He is under pressure from his party to secure the 218 Republican votes necessary for the bill’s passage.
Lawmakers are currently divided over discretionary spending for fiscal year 2024. While Democrats and many Republicans support the $1.59 trillion figure proposed in the debt ceiling agreement set earlier this year, hardliners are pushing for a reduction of $120 billion. However, this disagreement only represents a small portion of the overall U.S. budget, which surpassed $6.1 trillion in fiscal year 2023.
The outcome of these negotiations will have significant implications for federal funding, the smooth running of government agencies, and the economy as a whole. As the debate continues, there is hope that both parties can find common ground through compromise and bipartisan cooperation.
