Republicans Announce Last-Minute Funding Deal To Stave Off Shutdown, But Unclear If It Can Pass
The House is expected to vote on the measure Thursday night, though some conservatives already say they can’t support it.
House Republican leadership has settled on a new government funding plan less than 24 hours after President Trump came out against their original plan, which was ultimately ditched due to his opposition. The House will vote on the measure Thursday night, though if it can even pass it’s unclear if Senate Democrats would go along with the plan.
On Wednesday night, Trump announced on Truth Social that he would not support Mr. Johnson’s original bipartisan package, which he had negotiated with Senator Schumer to include hurricane disaster relief, assistance for farmers, healthcare reform, and a pay raise for members of Congress. The new plan, unveiled on Thursday afternoon, strips out the member pay raise and the pharmaceutical reform plan negotiated in the House.
Trump praised the package on Truth Social ahead of the expected vote on Thursday.
“Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have come to a very good Deal for the American People. The newly agreed to American Relief Act of 2024 will keep the Government open, fund our Great Farmers and others, and provide relief for those severely impacted by the devastating hurricanes,” Trump writes. “A VERY important piece, VITAL to the America First Agenda, was added as well — The date of the very unnecessary Debt Ceiling will be pushed out two years, to January 30, 2027.”
One of Trump’s big asks on Wednesday night was for Republicans to raise the debt limit, which was expected to be hit in June of next year. The president-elect said he didn’t want to have to deal with Democrats a few months into his term.
Mr. Johnson’s problem now is dissension within his own ranks. Congressman Chip Roy — whom Trump said deserves to be kicked out of Congress — announced he would not support the new plan that was released Thursday.
“More debt. More government. Increasing the Credit Card $4 trillion with ZERO spending restraint and cuts. HARD NO,” Mr. Roy wrote on X on Thursday.
The speaker and his leadership team would have two paths forward on passing the funding deal before the shutdown on Friday — either bring it directly to the floor and have the full House vote, which would require a two-thirds majority to pass, or Mr. Johnson could send the bill to the House Rules Committee, which would then have to pass the legislation so that the full House could pass it by simple majority.
The problem with the latter pathway is that Mr. Roy, along with two other archconservative members — Congressman Thomas Massie and Congressman Ralph Norman — sit on the Rules Committee, and would have the power to block the bill if the three of them and all Democrats vote no.
If they did bring the bill to the full House without going through the Rules Committee, Mr. Johnson would have to rely on nearly one hundred Democrats, at least, to pass the legislation. The rage that poured out of the Democratic Caucus on Wednesday night when Mr. Johnson pulled the bipartisan agreement was nothing short of astounding, and many members said Thursday that they would not give the speaker any help now that he reneged on his pledge due to Trump’s opposition.
Even if the speaker can jump through all of those hoops, the additional problem of the Senate remains, where Democrats are in power until January 3. The legislation would require 60 votes to pass.