Speaker Johnson exhausts options to keep the government open in face of Republican and Democratic opposition

Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposal to adopt a two-step continuing resolution, or ‘CR’, a stopgap funding bill, to avert a partial Federal government shutdown immediately drew opposition from Republican colleagues on the rightwing of the Party.

Under the two-step strategy — which Johnson and others have dubbed a “laddered CR”— the House would extend several major appropriations bills until January 19, with the remaining bills including Defense extended until February 2,? 2024.[1]

This “laddered CR” would largely maintain spending temporarily at Fiscal Year 2023 levels.

Within an hour of unveiling the CR, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, came out against the measure on X.

"It’s a?100% clean. And I 100% oppose," Roy tweeted.

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) joined Roy in opposition. “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,” he tweeted.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) also announced her opposition to the measure on X, saying she "voted NO to both CRs before and I'm voting NO to this clean CR.”[1]

Johnson can afford to lose no more than four Republicans if the measure is to pass on the floor of the House without Democratic Party members’ support.

Bi-partisan support for the measure looks unlikely. By kicking the appropriations can into 2024, Congress will miss the deadline of January 1, 2024 for passing Fiscal Year 2024 government appropriations, triggering an automatic across-the-board reduction in federal spending of 1%, ?including to Defense spending.

The trigger defunding spending was adopted in last summer’s measure to lift the national debt ceiling as an incentive for Congress to adopt budget appropriations on time.? It is fair to say that didn’t go according to plan.

The proposed spending bill also doesn’t include any additional money for Israel, Ukraine or the border. Those spending measures, Johnson indicated, would be addressed separately.

“Separating out the CR from the supplemental funding debates places our conference in the best position to fight for fiscal responsibility, oversight over Ukraine aid, and meaningful policy changes at our Southern border,” Johnson said in a statement last night, reported Politico.[2]

In a teleconference call yesterday afternoon, Johnson told the House Republicans that if the two-step package fails to pass, he plans to bring a full-year continuing resolution to the floor, which would include blanket 8% cuts to non-defense spending.

“House Republicans are wasting precious time with an unserious proposal that has been panned by members of both parties,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wrote in a statement.

The White House Office of Management and Budget has started its initial communications to agencies on how to prepare for a possible government shutdown at midnight on Friday, November 17.

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[1] Reese Gorman and Chris Irvine. House Republicans push back on Speaker Mike Johnson's shutdown plan. Washington Examiner, November 11, 2023. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/house-republicans-push-back-speaker-mike-johnson-shutdown-plan

[2] Olivia Beavers, Jordain Carney, Sarah Ferris and Caitilin Emma. Johnson announced his pitch to avoid a shutdown. It’s already hitting a wall. Politico, November 11, 2023. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/11/11/johnson-leans-into-conservative-demands-on-shutdown-averting-plan-00126713