Congress faces a Friday deadline to fund the government and avert a shutdown.
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to keep the government open past Friday faces several hurdles this week as time runs out to avert a .
Johnson on Saturday that would extend government funding at current levels for some agencies until Jan. 19, while others would be funded until Feb. 2. It does not include steep spending cuts demanded by conservatives, but it also does not provide funding for Ukraine, Israel and the southern border.
« The bill will stop the absurd holiday-season omnibus tradition of massive, loaded up spending bills introduced right before the Christmas recess, » the Louisiana Republican said in a statement of the two-step plan.
The House Rules Committee is meeting Monday afternoon to take up the bill. Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, a member of the committee, was one of the first Republicans to come out against Johnson’s plan.
« I can swallow temporary extension if we are getting actual ‘wins’ on … well … ANYTHING. But not just a punt, » he wrote ahead of the committee’s meeting.
Even if the bill makes it out of committee, it could still fail on the House floor. Johnson can afford to lose only four Republican votes before he needs to rely on Democrats to help pass the bill.
