ELECTIONS, POLITICS, & GOVERNMENT

House votes to prevent shutdown, GOP Speaker leans on Democrats for help

Nov 14, 2023, 4:05 PM | Updated: May 24, 2024, 11:18 am

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference after a weekly Republ...

U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference after a weekly Republican conference meetingin the U.S. Capitol Building on November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. During the news conference House Republican leadership spoke to reporters about a range of topics including the upcoming vote on a continuing resolution to fund the government through early 2024. (Anna Moneymaker /Getty Images)

(Anna Moneymaker /Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted Tuesday to prevent a government shutdown after new Republican Speaker Mike Johnson was forced to reach across the aisle to Democrats when hard-right conservatives revolted against his plan.

The bipartisan tally, 336-95, showed Johnson’s willingness to leave his right-flank Republicans behind and work with Democrats to temporarily keep government running — the same political move that cost the last House speaker, Kevin McCarthy, his job just weeks ago.

This time, Johnson of Louisiana appeared on track for a temporarily better outcome as the House approved the stopgap package to keep the government running into the new year. The Senate would act next, ahead of Friday’s shutdown deadline.

“Making sure that government stays in operation is a matter of conscience for all of us. We owe that to the American people,” Johnson said earlier Tuesday at a news conference at the Capitol.

But the new Republican leader faced the same political problem that led to McCarthy’s ouster — angry, frustrated, hard-right GOP lawmakers rejecting his approach, demanding budget cuts and determined to vote against the plan. Without enough support from his Republican majority, Johnson had little choice but to rely on Democrats to ensure passage to keep the federal government running.

Shortly before the Tuesday evening vote, House Democratic leaders issued a joint statement saying that the package met all their requirements and they would support it.

Under his proposal, Johnson is putting forward a unique — critics say bizarre — two-part process that temporarily funds some federal agencies to Jan. 19 and others to Feb. 2. It’s a continuing resolution, or CR, that comes without any of the deep cuts conservatives have demanded all year. It also fails to include President Joe Biden’s request for nearly $106 billion for Ukraine, Israel, border security and other supplemental funds.

“We’re not surrendering,” Johnson assured after a closed-door meeting of House Republicans Tuesday morning, vowing he would not support another stopgap. “But you have to choose fights you can win.”

Johnson, who announced his endorsement Tuesday of Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for president, hit the airwaves to sell his approach and met privately Monday night with the conservative Freedom Caucus.

Johnson says the innovative approach would position House Republicans to “go into the fight” for deeper spending cuts in the new year, but many Republicans are skeptical there will be any better outcome in January.

The House Freedom Caucus announced its opposition, ensuring dozens of votes against the plan.

“I think it’s a very big mistake,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the hard-right group of lawmakers.

“It’s wrong,” said Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn.

It all left Johnson with few other options than to skip what’s typically a party-only procedural vote, and rely on another process that requires a two-thirds tally with Democrats for passage.

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries in a letter to colleagues noted that the GOP package met the Democratic demands to keep funding at current levels without steep reductions or divisive Republican policy priorities.

“Extreme MAGA Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated that they cannot govern without House Democrats,” Jeffries said on NPR. “That will be the case this week in the context of avoiding a government shutdown.”

Winning bipartisan approval of a continuing resolution is the same move that led McCarthy’s hard-right flank to oust him in October, days after the Sept. 30 vote to avert a federal shutdown. For now, Johnson appears to be benefiting from a political honeymoon in one of his first big tests on the job.

“Look, we’re going to trust the speaker’s move here,” said Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-Ga.

But Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a McCarthy ally who opposed his ouster, said Johnson should be held to the same standard. “What’s the point in throwing out one speaker if nothing changes? The only way to make sure that real changes happen is make the red line stay the same for every speaker.”

The Senate, where Democrats have a slim majority, has signaled its willingness to accept Johnson’s package ahead of Friday’s deadline to fund the government.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called the House package “a solution” and said he expected it to pass Congress with bipartisan support.

“It’s nice to see us working together to avoid a government shutdown,” he said.

But McConnell, R-Ky., has noted that Congress still has work to do toward Biden’s request to provide U.S. military aid for Ukraine and Israel and for other needs. Senators are trying to devise a separate package to fund U.S. supplies for the overseas wars and to bolster border security, but it remains a work in progress.

If approved, passage of the continuing resolution would be a less-than-triumphant capstone to the House GOP’s first year in the majority. The Republicans have worked tirelessly to cut federal government spending only to find their own GOP colleagues unwilling to go along with the most conservative priorities. Two of the Republican bills collapsed last week as moderates revolted.

Instead, the Republicans are left funding the government essentially on autopilot at the levels that were set in bipartisan fashion at the end of 2022, when Democrats had control of Congress but the two parties came together to agree on budget terms.

All that could change in the new year when 1% cuts across the board to all departments would be triggered if Congress failed to agree to new budget terms and pass the traditional appropriation bills to fund the government by springtime.

The 1% automatic cuts, which would take hold in April, are despised by all sides — Republicans say they are not enough, Democrats say they are too steep and many lawmakers prefer to boost defense funds. But they are part of the debt deal McCarthy and Biden struck earlier this year. The idea was to push Congress to do better.

The legislation also extends farm bill programs through September, the end of the current fiscal year. That addition was an important win for some farm-state lawmakers. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., for example, warned that without the extension, milk prices would have soared and hurt producers back in his home state.

“The farm bill extension was the biggest sweetener for me,” said Pocan.
___
Associated Press writers Kevin Freking Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Elections, Politics, & Government

FILE- A large soft drink with a plastic straw from a McDonald's restaurant is shown in Surfside, Fl...

Associated Press

Trump pushes for plastic straws, declares paper ones ‘don’t work’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is moving to reverse a federal push away from plastic straws, declaring that paper straws “don’t work.” Trump signed an executive order Monday, saying: “It’s a ridiculous situation. We’re going back to plastic straws” The move by Trump — who has long railed against paper straws, and whose 2019 […]

5 hours ago

The U.S. Capitol is seen, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)...

Allessandra Harris Gurr

Privilege tax may be added to the Point of the Mountain

A proposed bill may bring a privilege tax to the Point of the Mountain development.

18 hours ago

utah capitol building. ‘You are inviting rapists to Utah’: Survivor urges lawmakers to consider...

DANIELLA RIVERA

‘You are inviting rapists to Utah’: Survivor urges lawmakers to consider consent bill

Just a small fraction of reported sexual assaults in Utah lead to rape charges filed in court, but year after year, a proposed solution has been met with resistance by lawmakers or ignored entirely on Capitol Hill.

2 days ago

FILE - Utah Capitol building. Utah lawmakers begin 2025 session. Utah Legislature is again in sessi...

Greg Skordas

The ‘great men and women’ of Utah Legislature need to take a step back, says legal analyst

The Utah Legislature is again in session and once again, attempting to increase their already overwhelming power. The 2025 Legislative session is another example of their power grab.

2 days ago

Utah flag flying in the wind. A Utah bill known as SB204 could make it harder for judges to block c...

Adam Small

Utah bill could make it harder for judges to block laws that appear unconstitutional

A bill known as SB204 could make it harder for a judge to block laws that appear unconstitutional.

3 days ago

With President Donald Trump moving to abolish the Department of Education, how will it affect Utah'...

Devin Oldroyd

How would education in Utah be affected if Department of Education is abolished?

With President Donald Trump moving to abolish the Department of Education, how will it affect Utah's public and higher education systems?

4 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Full speed through the snow. A man on skis is pulled by his through the snow at full gallop Skijori...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get ready for an unforgettable skijoring adventure in Bear Lake!

“Skijoring the Bear” takes place this year on February 21-22 in Garden City, Utah.

the bedroom in a geodesic dome shows the night sky...

Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon

Your front row to an extraordinary cosmos show

As America's first glass dome stargazing resort, Clear Sky Resorts Bryce Canyon is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular places to stay.

2 people huddled up in a blanket and warm clothes sipping hot chocolate...

Bear Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau

The best ways to spend your Christmas vacation in Bear Lake

If you're dreaming of a white Christmas this year, Bear Lake should definitely be on your radar. Read this guide for more!

big crowd of people under holiday lights in an outdoor market...

Western Nut

Our favorite family Christmas activities in Utah

We gathered up a list of our favorite activities, movies, and treats to try this holiday season that the whole family can enjoy.

an IT tech looks at a laptop in front of a server network...

Comcast Business

Tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks

Check out this resource from Comcast Business to learn more about phishing attacks and how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of one.

A surprise gift, wrapped and ready to bring holiday cheer! Whether for Christmas, a birthday, or an...

Western Nut

10 Holiday Gift Ideas to cover everyone on your list

This guide is for you if you need holiday gift ideas that will make a lasting impression. 

House votes to prevent shutdown, GOP Speaker leans on Democrats for help