Washington – With a month-end deadline to avoid a government shutdown looming, House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday unveiled his latest plan to temporarily fund the government. rejection Last week was Johnson’s debut.
In a letter to colleagues announcing the new plan on Sunday, Johnson said, “As we fall just short of the goal line, an alternative plan is now required.
Last week, Johnson Moved forward With a vote on a six-month continuing resolution to fund the government, along with a controversial non-citizen voting measure that Democrats consider a non-starter. Opposition from a small group of House Republicans in the razor-thin GOP majority cuts the measure short of the support it needs to pass.
On Sunday, Johnson said he would move forward with a vote on a three-month stop-gap measure to fund the government without annexing the measure, which would put the fiscal fight ahead of the holidays. Common to Congress.
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Johnson said Sunday he took the action to prevent the Senate from “cramming us with a bill with billions in new spending and unrelated provisions,” adding that a three-month continuing resolution was “the only option left.”
After the speaker’s plan failed last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer created a legislative vehicle for a Senate vote if the House can’t find a way forward. In contrast to Johnson’s Senate-led bill, the House bill would be “very short, bare bones. [continuing resolution] Includes only absolutely necessary extensions.”
The legislation announced Sunday includes about $230 million in additional funding for the Secret Service that comes after a second assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump. Lawmakers are considering how to address the funding after the Secret Service said it had evidence stretched thin The first attempt on Trump’s life resulted in heightened security levels.
For many House conservatives, who typically oppose continuing resolutions, the new plan represents a scenario they hope to avoid. Johnson acknowledged that this would disappoint some, but insisted that it was “the most sensible course of action in the current circumstances”.
With such a narrow majority in the lower chamber, Johnson faced few options as he was unable to rally House Republicans around an original funding bill that required working across the aisle to avoid a government shutdown. Further complicating matters for Johnson was Trump’s suggestion that Republicans shut down the government if the noncitizen ballot measure could not be approved. But on Friday, the signaled the Speaker He expected Trump to soften his calls for a shutdown.
“As history has taught and current polling confirms, shutting down the government within 40 days of a special election is political malpractice,” Johnson wrote to colleagues.
Schumer criticized Johnson in a statement on Sunday, accusing the speaker of wasting “precious time” trying to come to an agreement on how to fund the government, though he celebrated the bipartisan talks he said took place over the past four days.
“I’m pleased that the bipartisan negotiations quickly led to a government funding deal without cuts and a poison pill, the same deal that could have been made two weeks ago,” Schumer said. “The government will run out of funds a week from today. Time is of the essence, and I hope Speaker Johnson and House Republicans don’t waste any more time.”
The New York Democrat said he hopes both chambers will approve the continuing resolution this week. Congress has been allocated funds till October 1.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement that House Democrats will “fully evaluate the spending legislation prior to its consideration on the floor” when they return to Washington this week.
“Congress is now on a bipartisan path to avoid a government shutdown that affects everyday Americans,” Jeffries said.
Nicole Killian,
And
contributed to this report.
