U.S. lawmakers released a stopgap spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown on Jan. 20, greatly reducing the chances of a closure but risking conservative Republican ire against House Speaker Mike Johnson.
The temporary spending bill would extend funds for some agencies that face a Jan. 20 deadline through March 1 and for others that face a Feb. 2 deadline through March. 8. The Senate will begin procedural votes on the bill, known as a continuing resolution, on Tuesday and will require cooperation among the 100 senators to pass it before the deadline.
“To avoid a shutdown, it will take bipartisan cooperation in the Senate and the House to quickly pass the CR and send it to the President’s desk before Friday’s funding deadline,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
While the bill preserves a bifurcated approach to the 12 annual spending bills favored by Johnson as a way to avoid a catch-all package, or omnibus, it violates the speaker’s pledge in November to refuse to support any more temporary funding.
Johnson, a Republican, last week defied hardliners in his party by sticking to a spending-cap deal with Schumer, setting an effective limit on discretionary spending of $1.66 trillion for the current U.S. fiscal year. House Freedom Caucus Republicans have sought at least $70 billion in lower spending and some have hinted at ousting the speaker for staying with the deal.
“This is what surrender looks like,” the House Freedom Caucus said on the social media platform X Sunday night.
Johnson defended the deal late Sunday, saying it eliminates the “worst” budget gimmicks and paves the way for passage of spending measures.
Ultraconservative Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene made it clear on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures that she isn’t threatening to oust the speaker over a stopgap bill. She said she would only force a vote on his speakership if he struck a…
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