House passes Speaker Mike Johnson's plan to avert government shutdown
Nov. 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday to pass Speaker Mike Johnson's two-step resolution to avert a government shutdown just days before the deadline.
The bill now goes to the Senate, which will need to pass it before midnight Friday to keep the government running.
House members voted 336 to 95 for the short-term funding bill, which Johnson, R-La., unveiled Saturday, to keep the government fully funded to Jan. 19. The remainder of the money, including for the Pentagon, runs out Feb. 2.
As the bill now heads to the Senate, majority leader Chuck Schumer said he will support the measure, along with Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.
"We would like to do it as soon as possible," Schumer told reporters Tuesday after the House vote. "Both McConnell and I want to avoid a shutdown, so getting this done obviously before Friday at midnight -- we know the Senate has lots of arcane rules. But McConnell and I are going to work together. We talked about this yesterday, to get it done as quickly as possible."
In Tuesday's vote to avert a government shutdown, 127 Republicans joined with 209 Democrats to pass the short-term funding bill. The resolution was considered under the suspension of the rules, meaning it needed support from two-thirds of the House, or 290 votes, to pass.
While some Republicans voiced opposition to the bill, including Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who tweeted that it would approve "Pelosi-level spending" -- referring to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. -- House GOP leadership announced Monday night that it would work to push the spending fight into early next year.
"I've been in the job less than three weeks. I can't turn an aircraft carrier overnight, but this was a very important first step to get us to the next stage, so that we can change how Washington works," Johnson said ahead of Tuesday's vote.
The House Freedom Caucus -- a group of about 45 far-right Republicans -- issued a statement early Tuesday signaling that it would oppose Johnson's resolution.
"The House Freedom Caucus opposes the proposed 'clean' Continuing Resolution as it contains no spending reductions, no border security and not a single meaningful win for the American people," the statement says. "Republicans must stop negotiating against ourselves over fears of what the Senate may do with the promise 'roll over today and we'll fight tomorrow.'"
Early Tuesday, Johnson predicted his bill would pass with bipartisan support.
"I'll go in with all the House Republicans and [Minority Leader Rep.] Hakeem Jeffries will go meet with all the Democrats, and we'll figure out the final numbers," Johnson said Tuesday on CNBC's Squawk Box.
Last month, eight Republicans voted to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as speaker after he leaned on votes from Democrats to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government. A drawn-out struggle to seat a new Republican speaker ensued, ending with Johnson winning the gavel after 21 days.
Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., said on the floor that Republicans have "wasted valuable time" with infighting.
Prior to bringing Johnson's resolution up for a vote, the House held an hour-long debate on a separate appropriations bill that would bring widespread cuts to the departments of labor, health and human services and education, as well as related agencies.
Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., said the bill would cut $60 billion from more than 50 programs and eliminate another 60. This would include an 80% reduction of Title I grants to public schools.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said she has never seen a bill "this inhumane." She said it would lead to tens of thousands of public school teachers losing their jobs.
"It heralds their intent to end public education in the United States," she said. "This bill is shameful. This is the 'every child left behind act.'"
