House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is moving forward with his plan for passage. short term funds bill This week's decision to extend the government through March to avoid a partial government shutdown infuriated hard-line Republicans, who called it a “capitulation” to “Biden policies.”
“Last week, House Republicans finally achieved an improved top-line agreement that will allow the House and Senate to complete their annual spending bill,” Johnson said in a statement Sunday, along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. He affirmed the $1.66 trillion spending agreement reached with the party leader (Democratic Party). -new york).
The top-line agreement would extend government funding at current levels through March 1 and March 8, respectively, and allocate $888 billion for defense and $704 billion for discretionary spending. .
An additional $69 billion is added to the discretionary spending level following a side agreement negotiated with the White House by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as part of last year's debt ceiling increase bill known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act. will be done.
Johnson reiterated his defense of the Schumer agreement in a statement, saying it removed “the worst gimmicks in previous fiscal responsibility law side agreements,” while also providing $10 billion in cuts to the IRS. He insisted that $6 billion worth of state reparations would be maintained. Unused coronavirus relief funds.
“With deadlines looming, there is a short window to complete what House Republicans are working hard to accomplish: ending omnibus governance, meaningful policy wins, and improving America's tax administration.” A continuing resolution is needed,” Johnson added.
Ten minutes after Prime Minister Johnson spoke, the conservative House of Commons Freedom Caucus Posted in X: “This is what surrender looks like.”
“The @HouseGOP plans to pass a short-term spending bill that continues at Pelosi levels with the Biden policy, to buy time to pass a long-term spending bill with the Pelosi level with the Biden policy.”
Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good (R-Va.) and other members visited Mr. Johnson's office last week to try to persuade him to withdraw from the Schumer deal.
But he appeared on Friday afternoon and told reporters that “our most important agreements remain” and that the session would pass the bill and move quickly “toward a robust spending process.” I urged them to do so.
“This brings Congress much closer to normal order,” Johnson said, referring to the traditional 12-bill spending process for funding the federal government, which has not been completed in any fiscal year since 1996. This is a big commitment here.”
Other House members, including Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), said the Speaker would extend the continuing resolution beyond April 30. It was hoped to finalize a 1% cut in the federal budget. If Congress had not returned to normal order by then, Mr. McCarthy said he intended to include it in a deal to raise the debt ceiling.
“The White House and the Senate were so desperate to raise the debt ceiling that they agreed to cut spending and agree to a spending cap,” Massey told the Post last week. I did,” he added.
Schumer endorsed a “compromise” with Johnson in a floor speech last week, and the Senate is scheduled to vote on the funding package on Tuesday.
But Johnson and House Republicans agree that they oppose the bill. leaked draft That's part of a deal put together by Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) to strengthen border security, which would increase the number of green card holders to 50,000 a year and still add 5,000 more each day. It is now possible to process immigrants into the United States.
“Absolutely not,” the House Speaker posted to X in response to the proposal.
During his vacation, Lankford negotiated a deal with Sens. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) to reform U.S. border policy for the first time in decades.
Both bills are expected to receive support from Democrats, but will need support from a small number of moderate Republicans to pass the narrowly divided House.
“I think you get to the point where he just has to say, 'Hey, look, you're either with me or you're not. And if you're not with me, We have to step up on this issue and go find the votes to do the job for the American people,” said Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.). told the Washington Post The current status of negotiations was announced over the weekend.
“Remember, he's the Speaker of the House. He's not just the Speaker of the Republican Party.”
