Speaker Johnson Proposes Two-Tiered Spending Stopgap to Avoid Shutdown

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) proposed a two-step federal funding stopgap bill on Saturday in an attempt to avoid a government shutdown.

The Details: The continued resolution (CR) would have some funding run out on January 19, with the rest running out on February 2. It would keep current spending levels without any budget cuts or major policy changes. The bill does not include additional funding for Ukraine or Israel.

For Context: The CR would effectively serve as an extension of the one passed on September 30. That CR, which was proposed by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) before he was ousted from his role as speaker, is set to expire on Friday, November 17. A few weeks ago, the newly elected Speaker Johnson led House Republicans to pass $14.3 billion in aid for Israel, an allotment of funds that were pulled from IRS funding.

Key Quotes: Johnson said, “This two-step continuing resolution is a necessary bill to place House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories… Separating out the CR from the supplemental funding debates places our conference in the best position to fight for fiscal responsibility, oversight over Ukraine aid, and meaningful policy changes at our Southern border.”

How The Media Covered It: Media across the spectrum said the bill may receive opposition from GOP hardliners. The Hill (Center bias) said Senate Democrats “appear unlikely to embrace the proposal.” CNN (Lean Left bias) highlighted critical perspectives from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.