Speaker Mike Johnson has put forward a two-step, “laddered” stopgap bill as a way to keep the government operating with less than a week until federal funding ends.
Mr. Johnson presented the stopgap bill to GOP members during a conference call on Saturday, setting up a potential clash with the Democrat-led Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Charles S. Schumer has criticized the proposal. Even Senate Republicans have expressed concerns about the complexity of the plan.
A source familiar with the members-only call confirmed that the bill would establish Jan. 19 and Feb. 2 of next year as the target dates to conclude work on spending bills.
Mr. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, aims to include the ag, military construction and VA, energy and water, and transportation legislation in the first round of spending bills. This would lead to Congress working with the Senate to reconcile the differences and finalize the bills for President Biden to sign into law.
“This two-step continuing resolution is a necessary bill to place House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories,” Mr. Johnson said. “The bill will stop the absurd holiday-season omnibus tradition of massive, loaded-up spending bills introduced right before the Christmas recess.”
The House has made progress on all but one of the spending bills included in the first deadline, as Mr. Johnson delayed the transportation spending legislation due to lack of support last week.
Traditionally, Congress combines all 12 spending bills into a massive omnibus bill. However, House Republicans have pledged to change this process by advancing spending bills individually.
The announcement comes with just six days left for Congress to avert another shutdown. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the bill as early as Tuesday.
While the bill succeeds in keeping lawmakers off the Hill during the holiday season, Mr. Johnson is still navigating familiar territory that proved challenging for his predecessor, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, since the bill lacks spending cuts.
Several lawmakers who opposed Mr. McCarthy’s previous proposals indicated potential support for a laddered approach with conditions, including spending cuts similar to those in the failed border security-focused stopgap bill.
Rep. Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus, expressed opposition to the bill, stating that it would continue funding the government at levels agreed upon when Democrats previously controlled the House.
However, putting a relatively clean stopgap bill on the floor might not be the downfall of Mr. Johnson’s leadership. Conservatives have expressed willingness to give the new top Republican more leeway due to time constraints and a higher level of trust compared to Mr. McCarthy.
Mr. Johnson reassured that if the laddered bill doesn’t work, lawmakers can expect a yearlong stopgap bill, which also does not include Israel aid, a previously proposed provision intended to attract Senate and House Democrats who are expected to reject the bill.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, criticized the multi-step bill as a “joke,” warning that pursuing a laddered approach is pushing the government closer to a shutdown.
The Senate is also seeking to avoid a laddered option, with Mr. Schumer beginning the process of advancing a vehicle for a Senate stopgap, a move that could create a hurdle for the House.
