(RepublicanReport.org) – When former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was leading the Lower Chamber in September, he reached across the aisle for Democratic support in passing a 45-day short-term funding bill to avoid a government shutdown. As a result of roping in bipartisanship, McCarthy was ousted from his position and eventually replaced by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who faced the tail end of that deal.
On November 14, Johnson presented another stop-gap bill to temporarily fund the government until the new year. Once again, the speaker called on Democrats to support him in this measure, as many Republicans were against the clean bill. After a vote, 336 House members voted in favor of HR 6363, and 95 voted against. Of the legislators who voted against, 93 were from the GOP, and 2 were from the Left.
The bill Johnson put to a vote and sent to the Senate did not include any spending cuts, making it more attractive to Democrats who were against cutting funding for the American people. However, it also didn’t include any funding measures for Ukraine, the border, or Israel. Still, the short-term solution would give lawmakers time to work out a spending deal when they all return to Congress after the holidays. The House speaker said the move puts “House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories.” Many in his party disagree.
In fact, the House Freedom Caucus spoke out against the move on social media, saying they were against the idea of “rolling over today to fight tomorrow.” But the caucus’ voices were drowned out by 127 House Republicans who voted to pass the clean bill and keep the government running. Considering McCarthy’s fate with similar antics, Johnson’s future leading the chamber hangs in the balance.
On November 15, the continuing resolution passed the Senate and headed to President Joe Biden’s desk for signature before the shutdown deadline of November 18.
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