As the first deadline approaches on Jan. 19, House Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) are weighing in on the path to government funding. Conflicting.
Mr. McConnell said Tuesday that Congress must pass another continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown, but Mr. Johnson argued against another CR agreement.
“The question is, how long does the CR need to be? It's up to the majority leader and the chair to decide how long the CR should be,” McConnell told reporters after the Republican Party's weekly luncheon. ” he said.
Johnson said in November that the short-term funding patch known as CR, which temporarily funds agencies until a permanent deal is passed this year, is “done,” putting him at odds with Senate Republican leadership. Became.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) are at odds over the path to government funding. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
On January 19, funding for several federal departments will expire, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, agriculture, energy, transportation, and housing and urban development.
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Department of Defense will also run out on February 2nd.
“The simplest thing takes a week in the Senate,” McConnell said. “I often think the House doesn't understand how long it takes to get something passed in the Senate.”
Of the 12 spending bills approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee, only three passed.
Sen. John Thune, RS.D., added that it is “very likely” that CR will continue to receive government funding “for the foreseeable future.”
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (left), Democrat of New York. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) poses for a photo before meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., ahead of the meeting on July 27, 2023. (Saul Loeb)
“We are not going to get all spending bills done by the upcoming deadline,” Thune said, adding that CR is “inevitable.”
Meanwhile, Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D.N.Y.) agreed this week to set next year's “top line” spending at $1.59 trillion.
FOX News Digital has reached out to Johnson's office for comment.
