The latest on the government funding bill as shutdown looms
By Piper Hudspeth Blackburn
Updated 9:03 a.m. ET, November 14, 2023
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1 min ago
Johnson signals bipartisan support for his short-term funding bill
From CNN's Morgan Rimmer
House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNBC he believes there will be support from both sides of the aisle for his two-step, short-term spending bill, as Congress works to avert a shutdown at the end of the week.
“I think we’ll have bipartisan agreement that that is a better way to do it, to have the actual appropriations process,” Johnson said.
He warned that without a continuing resolutions (CR) that extend into next year, “the Senate jams the House,” and they will face a single, all-encompassing, government funding bill ahead of the holidays.
“If we don’t do the two-step, the laddered CR, as we’re calling it – it’s a real innovation, it’s a paradigm shift for how Washington works – but what that will do is allow us to actually have those fights, have those debates, to do it out in the open so the American people can see it,” he said. “If we don’t do that, what is going to happen and what would have happened here again is another dreaded Christmas omnibus spending bill.”
Johnson noted that he isn’t sure how many House Republicans will vote against the plan, but they plan to figure out the “final numbers” in their conference meeting later this morning.
Pressed on how his passing a clean, short-term spending bill is different from when Speaker Kevin McCarthy did the same thing, and was ostensibly ousted over it, Johnson tried to argue that they are two different situations.
“What we’re doing now is a little bit different than what Kevin was presented with. He was in a jam as well, but by breaking this up and doing the CR the way we are, it’s a new shift,” he said, noting that a House Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Andy Harris, came up with the idea of splitting it into two parts.
Johnson also argued that creating two fiscal cliffs early next year will not make the government funding process more difficult.
13 min ago
House Freedom Caucus officially comes out against Johnson’s funding plan
From CNN's Melanie Zanona
The conservative House Freedom Caucus, a group of roughly 30 hardliners, has taken an official position against House Speaker Mike Johnson’s two-part government funding plan.
This comes after Johnson met with the group last night, in hopes of assuaging their concerns over the bill, according to a source familiar.
The group advocated for the two-step approach, which Johnson agreed to, but they also wanted spending cuts, which Johnson did not include.
14 min ago
Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to avert a shutdown is set to face key tests ahead of the deadline
From CNN's Lauren Fox, Melanie Zanona and Morgan Rimmer
Johnson told his leadership team on Monday night that he sees “a path” to get his government funding plan passed and signed into law, expressing confidence it will succeed despite some Republicans being opposed to the bill and the procedural vote, according to a member in attendance. He also told lawmakers he believes all four congressional leaders — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — are on board with his proposal, the member said.
However, Johnson is still facing a rebellion from his right wing as conservatives quickly criticized his plan on social media and vowed to vote against it, leaving him in a position where he will likely need Democratic votes to pass the bill before the Friday deadline.
“The current short-term funding proposal includes a 1-year extension of the Farm Bill (no reform), status quo policies, and status quo funding levels. Disappointing is as polite as I can muster. I will be voting NO,” said Rep. Warren Davidson, a Republican from Ohio. “Hopefully, the consensus will result in a more reasonable bill.”
Other conservatives also blasted the bill, including Rep. Chip Roy, an influential member of the House Freedom Caucus.
“My opposition to the clean CR just announced by the Speaker to the House GOP cannot be overstated. Funding Pelosi level spending and policies for 75 days – for future ‘promises,’” he tweeted Saturday.
Complicating things for Johnson, Democrats remain noncommittal on whether they will back his idea, leaving him in a position where his first major piece of legislation may not even be able to get out of the House at all.
Many dismissed the two-step plan last week as messy and unnecessary. But, multiple members told CNN that lawmakers remain open minded, given the fact the plan did not include steep spending cuts, a red line.
Johnson’s spending plan would fund government agencies through spending bills for the military, Veterans Affairs, transportation, housing and urban development and energy and water through mid-January. Then, funding for the remaining government agencies would expire on a second date on February 2.
It’s a plan that many Democrats have blasted as a gimmick, but have also acknowledged can’t be dismissed outright given that time is limited and control of Congress is divided.
Critical deadline: Congress is scrambling to pass a spending bill to prevent a government shutdown with just days to go until the Friday deadline. The bipartisan short-term funding bill that was passed in September to keep the government open is set to expire and the clock is ticking for both chambers to approve new legislation.
Johnson's plan: House Speaker Mike Johnson’s two-step plan to avert a shutdown is expected to face key tests today as GOP leadership tries to move it through the chamber. Johnson is facing a rebellion from his right wing as conservatives have criticized his plan, leaving him in a position where he likely will need many Democratic votes to pass the bill before the deadline.
What's at stake: A shutdown could have enormous impacts across the country, from air travel to clean drinking water. Many government operations would come to a halt, while services deemed “essential” would continue.
House Speaker Mike Johnson told CNBC he believes there will be support from both sides of the aisle for his two-step, short-term spending bill, as Congress works to avert a shutdown at the end of the week.
“I think we’ll have bipartisan agreement that that is a better way to do it, to have the actual appropriations process,” Johnson said.
He warned that without a continuing resolutions (CR) that extend into next year, “the Senate jams the House,” and they will face a single, all-encompassing, government funding bill ahead of the holidays.
“If we don’t do the two-step, the laddered CR, as we’re calling it – it’s a real innovation, it’s a paradigm shift for how Washington works – but what that will do is allow us to actually have those fights, have those debates, to do it out in the open so the American people can see it,” he said. “If we don’t do that, what is going to happen and what would have happened here again is another dreaded Christmas omnibus spending bill.”
Johnson noted that he isn’t sure how many House Republicans will vote against the plan, but they plan to figure out the “final numbers” in their conference meeting later this morning.
Pressed on how his passing a clean, short-term spending bill is different from when Speaker Kevin McCarthy did the same thing, and was ostensibly ousted over it, Johnson tried to argue that they are two different situations.
“What we’re doing now is a little bit different than what Kevin was presented with. He was in a jam as well, but by breaking this up and doing the CR the way we are, it’s a new shift,” he said, noting that a House Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Andy Harris, came up with the idea of splitting it into two parts.
Johnson also argued that creating two fiscal cliffs early next year will not make the government funding process more difficult.
The conservative House Freedom Caucus, a group of roughly 30 hardliners, has taken an official position against House Speaker Mike Johnson’s two-part government funding plan.
This comes after Johnson met with the group last night, in hopes of assuaging their concerns over the bill, according to a source familiar.
The group advocated for the two-step approach, which Johnson agreed to, but they also wanted spending cuts, which Johnson did not include.
Johnson told his leadership team on Monday night that he sees “a path” to get his government funding plan passed and signed into law, expressing confidence it will succeed despite some Republicans being opposed to the bill and the procedural vote, according to a member in attendance. He also told lawmakers he believes all four congressional leaders — House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — are on board with his proposal, the member said.
However, Johnson is still facing a rebellion from his right wing as conservatives quickly criticized his plan on social media and vowed to vote against it, leaving him in a position where he will likely need Democratic votes to pass the bill before the Friday deadline.
“The current short-term funding proposal includes a 1-year extension of the Farm Bill (no reform), status quo policies, and status quo funding levels. Disappointing is as polite as I can muster. I will be voting NO,” said Rep. Warren Davidson, a Republican from Ohio. “Hopefully, the consensus will result in a more reasonable bill.”
Other conservatives also blasted the bill, including Rep. Chip Roy, an influential member of the House Freedom Caucus.
“My opposition to the clean CR just announced by the Speaker to the House GOP cannot be overstated. Funding Pelosi level spending and policies for 75 days – for future ‘promises,’” he tweeted Saturday.
Complicating things for Johnson, Democrats remain noncommittal on whether they will back his idea, leaving him in a position where his first major piece of legislation may not even be able to get out of the House at all.
Many dismissed the two-step plan last week as messy and unnecessary. But, multiple members told CNN that lawmakers remain open minded, given the fact the plan did not include steep spending cuts, a red line.
Johnson’s spending plan would fund government agencies through spending bills for the military, Veterans Affairs, transportation, housing and urban development and energy and water through mid-January. Then, funding for the remaining government agencies would expire on a second date on February 2.
It’s a plan that many Democrats have blasted as a gimmick, but have also acknowledged can’t be dismissed outright given that time is limited and control of Congress is divided.
