House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he expects Congress to extend the existing government budget into early next year to avert a shutdown in December—setting the stage for Republicans to have full control over the budget process when the new GOP-controlled Congress and President-elect Donald Trump take office in January.
Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, Mike Johnson and Vivek Ramaswamy look on during the UFC 309 event at ... [+]
Johnson said Sunday on Fox News he is “still hopeful” lawmakers can come to an agreement on a new budget before the current one expires on Dec. 20, but, “if not we’ll have a temporary measure I think that would go into the first part of next year.”
Pushing the budget process into early next year would allow Congress to negotiate a spending deal after the Senate and White House switch to Republican hands in what’s referred to as a single-party “trifecta,” as the House will stay in Republican control.
The “trifecta” would allow Republicans to attach their policy priorities—such as tax cuts and broad cuts to various agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, which was a partisan sticking point in budget negotiations during the current Congress—to the fiscal year 2025 budget without having to negotiate with Democrats.
Johnson indicated last week Trump would hold sway in Congress’ decision whether to pass a short-term spending deal or vote on a new budget for the full 2025 fiscal year at the end of September next year, telling reporters, “the president’s preference on that will carry a lot of weight obviously.”
Trump has not indicated whether he prefers a short-term deal or a full-year spending bill.
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“The new reform agenda begins in earnest as soon as President Donald J. Trump takes office in January, and we have a full agenda to run,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be a very aggressive first 100 days of the new Congress.”
The House in September approved a short-term budget that extended the existing spending plan past the Oct. 1 deadline when the 2024 fiscal year expired, narrowly averting a shutdown just five days before the deadline. Trump urged Republicans to tank the bill and let the government shut down if a provision requiring proof-of-citizenship to vote was not included. Congress passed the budget without the voting provision, but tacked on an additional $230 million in funding for the Secret Service in response to the two assassination attempts against Trump this summer.
It’s unclear if the Democrat-controlled Senate will agree to a short-term deal, or use their final months in control of the upper chamber to fight for a budget that will fund the government for the entirety of the 2024 fiscal year.
Government Shutdown Averted: Senate Passes New Spending Deal—Biden To Sign Into Law (Forbes)
Government Shutdown Unlikely After New Spending Deal Announced: Here’s What To Know (Forbes)