House Republicans have reached agreement on a Plan B to avert a government shutdown ahead of a Friday deadline and plan to vote on it Thursday, lawmakers announced.
The bill, titled the American Rescue Act, includes a three-month continuation of government funding and a two-year suspension of the debt ceiling, provisions that President-elect Trump called for Wednesday.
The bill retains most of the bipartisan provisions from the original package negotiated by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), while removing controversial measures such as pay increases for members of Congress. But there are other important differences.
It will be difficult to see the bill through. Democrats still control the Senate and the White House, and Plan B is already facing opposition from hardline conservatives in the House. Leadership is seeking to bring the bill to a vote under a suspension of rules, so it would need a two-thirds majority to pass.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York was quick to slam the new bill.
“Musk and Johnson's proposals are not serious, they are ridiculous. Extreme MAGA Republicans are forcing us into a government shutdown,” Jeffries said.
Recording starts on page 116the bill is significantly shorter than the more than 1,500-page bipartisan agreement introduced earlier this week. A vote on the bill is expected to take place at 6:30 p.m. ET, one source said.
The bill maintains about $100 billion for disaster relief and about $10 billion for economic support for farmers, matching the amounts included in the previous bipartisan funding deal signed just days ago. And that would include a one-year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill.
However, in a departure from Prime Minister Boris Johnson's original policy, the language stipulating pay increases for MPs was removed. The sources also said the agreement does not include year-round sales of E15 ethanol.
This includes extensions of some medical programs, but not all that were included in the original contract. And reforms to how pharmacy benefit managers operate, a bipartisan measure that would have significantly increased the length and complexity of the original bill, were removed from the package.
The reauthorization of the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, which drew heated criticism from Elon Musk and right-wing commentators, was removed. The Assistance Act, a bipartisan bill to address the opioid crisis, was also repealed.
The new package also does not include previous language transferring administrative jurisdiction over RFK Stadium to the District of Columbia. This move follows Mr. Musk. has also become more expensivefalse alarm The previous package included a provision to “facilitate construction of a $3 billion NFL stadium'' in Washington, D.C.
Federal funding for the reconstruction of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, which was destroyed in a cargo ship crash earlier this year, remains in the new bill.
One source said the bill would be titled the “American Rescue Act.”
As Friday's shutdown deadline rapidly approaches, top House Republicans told reporters they plan to vote on the deal on Thursday. However, it remains unclear whether the bill will garner enough support to pass.
Even some Republican lawmakers were quick to jump into a deal once the details leaked. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) called the deal a “bad deal” on Sean Hannity's radio show.
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.) also initially expressed skepticism about the bill to reporters. I can't understand unless I'm missing something or someone can give me more details. ”
President Trump also supported the new spending deal, especially raising the debt ceiling, calling it a “very important part and essential to the America First agenda.”
“It's a success in Washington!” he wrote in Truth Social. “Speaker Mike Johnson and the House of Representatives have reached an agreement that is very good for the American people.”
“Every Republican, and even Democrats, should do what's best for our country and vote 'yes' on this bill tonight!” he added.
Ideologically diverse House Republicans gathered for hours Thursday in Johnson's office to consider alternative spending plans. It included a stop-gap measure that promised to raise the borrowing limit twice next year in exchange for eliminating the debt limit hike.
That version would have left out President Trump's biggest demand, and the red line that Democrats shouldn't cross.
But the plan hit a wall as hard-line conservatives, including the House Freedom Caucus, demanded spending cuts to offset the debt ceiling hike, people told The Hill.
The group was unable to find enough areas to reduce in the short term as the shutdown loomed, leading to a “stalemate” and the decision to scrap the plan, the people said.
Plan B is backed by the initial funding proposal that Johnson was negotiating with Democrats, despite opposition from Trump and mass postings of opposition by Musk and Vivek Ramaswami, co-directors of the incoming Department of Government Efficiency. It came about after it was crushed by disgruntled Republican lawmakers.
Mike Lillis, Nathaniel Wexiel, and Aris Folley contributed. Updated at 4:58 p.m.
