House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) dodged conversation on a stopgap measure to avoid a government shutdown next week as the speaker comes under fire from multiple members of his own party.
During a closed-door meeting on Wednesday with House Republicans to walk through the $1.59 trillion spending deal brokered with Senate Democrats over the weekend, Johnson neglected to bring up the possibility of a continuing resolution, according to several lawmakers.
“The focus is on trying to move forward within the top line, getting appropriations bills moving aggressively,” Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) said. “We’re not conceding the timeline just yet.”
Johnson’s avoidance of discussing a continuing resolution during the meeting comes despite some GOP lawmakers saying one will be needed to avoid a shutdown, and as the speaker is facing similar wrath once endured by his predecessor, former Rep. Kevin McCarthy.
Lawmakers have until Jan. 19 to pass the first batch of appropriations bills, after which a slew of federal agencies will enter a partial government shutdown. While some top Republicans in the Senate have conceded a stopgap measure will be needed, Johnson has not indicated whether he is open to the idea.
“I’m not ruling out anything, committing to anything, other than getting these appropriations done,” Johnson said after the meeting.
Hard-line conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus have balked at the idea of passing another continuing resolution, vowing instead to shut down the government unless substantial border policy changes are passed through Congress.
Negotiations have continued in the Senate to finalize a border deal that also approves additional funding to Ukraine and Israel, although lawmakers have said legislative text may not be ready until next week. That puts Johnson in a time crunch, as lawmakers only have nine days until their first shutdown deadline.
“I’m done,” said Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), a member of the House Freedom Caucus. “I’m not funding it, I’m not voting for it. If we can’t keep the security of this country front and center stage, we’ve lost our country. I’m not doing it.”
More moderate Republicans also have indicated they will not support a temporary spending extension, arguing a short-term shutdown could be another method to buy time for appropriators.
“You shut down for a week to give our appropriators time to get it done,” said Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), chairman of the Republican Study Committee. “You got to remember, everything is the same as it was back in May with the appropriations [and the Fiscal Responsibility Act] levels. So the appropriators have worked for almost a year now on these appropriations bills. There’s a lot of things that are already done, it’s not like we’re starting from scratch.”
Meanwhile, a handful of hard-line conservatives openly are considering measures to remove Johnson from the speakership, less than three months after he secured the gavel following McCarthy’s ouster.
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Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) was among the first to float the option, saying it is not something he is pursuing actively but emphasizing that it is not off the table. Other Republicans have not gone as far as to propose a motion to vacate, but a handful have expressed frustration with Johnson’s performance so far.
“Before we could even get together, he announced the terms of the surrender,” Warren Davidson (R-OH) said of the top-line spending deal. “[Johnson] should have never been hired.”
