The deadline to reach a decision to avoid a government shutdown is Friday. What happens now?
New House Speaker Mike Johnson is running into “his first big clash” with lawmakers during his beginning weeks in the role.
The Hill reported that Johnson released an “unconventional two-step stopgap bill” over the weekend, that seeks to “extend funding at current levels for some agencies until mid-January and the rest through early February.”
This proposal has divided Republicans, which could possibly result in a government shutdown if they can’t agree on a final deal by Friday.
Here’s what we know.
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What is the two-step budget proposal?
“This two-step continuing resolution is a necessary bill to place House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories,” Johnson reportedly said in a statement over the weekend.
CNN reported that the plan Johnson put forward “didn’t fully cave to” the wishes of the more conservative members of his conference.
The first step is a bill that would extend funding for “military construction, Veterans Affairs, transportation, housing and the Energy Department” until Jan. 19.
The second step reportedly would include “funding for the rest of the government” until Feb. 2.
“I wasn’t the architect of the mess we are in,” a source on the weekend conference call reported that Johnson said regarding the situation.
The Associated Press reported members of the Freedom Caucus listed demands back in August in order to avoid a shutdown that are still not totally met by this two-step budget proposal.
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Why is a government shutdown looming?
The Washington Post reported that Rep. Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus, said, “People want to give Mike grace to be able to move forward. But at the end of the day, we have a job and the clock is ticking. You’re storming the beaches of Normandy and somebody goes down, you don’t sit around and form a committee.”
NBC News reported that despite the deadline on Friday to avoid a government shutdown, the House plans to vote on the bill as early as Tuesday.
“Time is ticking and we got to go get it done,” Roy said.
