(DCWatchdog.com) – In a strong-worded warning that allowing the federal government to be shut down ahead of the 2024 election would be an “act of political malpractice”, GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed a new funding bill to avoid such a scenario.
House GOP leaders on Sunday unveiled a plan to keep the government funded for three months after Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) initial attempt to avoid a shutdown was unsuccessful due to resistance from within his own party.
The temporary funding measure, a result of bipartisan discussions in both the House and Senate, aims to maintain government operations at current levels until December 20, setting the stage for a funding dispute during the holiday season.
This plan proposes a shorter duration than Johnson’s original six-month proposal and notably omits a provision supported by former President Trump that would require citizenship proof for voting, The Hill reports.
The strategy from the Republican leadership is to introduce the bill through the standard legislative process, with a planned vote on the floor by Wednesday, as informed by GOP aides.
Following this, the bill would move to the Senate, well before the looming shutdown deadline of September 30.
In a letter to his colleagues on Sunday, Johnson urged against the shutdown.
“While this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances. As history has taught and current polling affirms, shutting the government down less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice,” Johnson declared.
He cited a survey by McLaughlin & Associates which found that two-thirds of likely voters are against a government shutdown.
Additionally, the bill directs $231 million to the Secret Service following a recent alleged second attempt to assassinate Trump.
Johnson conveyed in his letter that since their initial plan did not succeed, a different approach is necessary.
He further explained that the purpose of the clean, three-month funding measure is to prevent the Senate from pushing through a bill laden with new spending and unrelated terms, emphasizing that it is “a very narrow, bare-bones CR including only the extensions that are absolutely necessary.”
House Republicans will likely require Democratic support to pass the bill, as several GOP members are expected to reject it due to the absence of spending reductions, the shorter timeline, and the exclusion of the voting legislation, which was heavily advocated for by staunch conservatives and Trump.
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