Here we go…
After yesterday’s disastrous failed vote on a pared down spending package, speaker Mike Johnson is set to roll out a revised plan for another bite at the apple before tonight’s deadline for a federal government shutdown.
Except… according to Rep. Anna Paula Luna (R-FL) who just came out of Johnson’s office, the next revision – to be voted on at 10am ET – will be “something very similar to yesterday,” and that Republicans will not negotiate with Democrats, according to Jake Sherman.
Which means a shutdown is imminent unless they can pull a rabbit out of a hat.
ANNA PAULINA LUNA just came out of the speakers office and said there will be a vote on “something very similar to yesterday.”
She said Rs will not negotiate with Dems.
She also said vote at 10, which I’ve been told is an ambitious internal leadership goal not meant to be…
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 20, 2024
As Punchbowl News notes, Johnson is desperate – reportedly saying on Thursday that “If anyone else can get 218 votes, God bless them,” according to lawmakers present.
Johnson’s Trump-endorsed Plan-B-funding-and-debt-limit bill failed miserably on the House floor Thursday night. Thirty-eight Republicans ignored Trump and Johnson’s entreaties and voted against the bill, showing the limits of both men’s power in the House.
All but two House Democrats voted no. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) voted present.
After the vote failed, Johnson, who was mobbed by reporters just feet from the House floor, tried to stay positive. “We will regroup and we will come up with another solution so stay tuned,” Johnson said.
Of course, nobody seems to want to try the obvious solution – separate votes, as rep Thomas Massie (R-KY) pointed out Thursday afternoon.
This isn’t complicated.
Separate the bills and vote on them individually.
one vote on the clean CR
one vote on the debt limit
one vote on disaster relief
one vote on farm bailouts
Radical right? Individual bills for each issue.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) December 20, 2024
Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise – who disagreed with Johnson’s decision for a short-term CR, said “they’re looking at some other options.”
“What exactly is in or out hasn’t been decided, but you start with keeping the government open,” Scalise told reporters.
President-elect Trump chimed in on Friday as well, posting on Truth Social: “If there is goign to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration, not after January 20th, under TRUMP.”
Polymarket participants are giving a shutdown a 61% chance as of this writing. Let’s see where the below widget goes throughout the day.
Punchbowl has some ideas on the path forward.
1) Try the bill that failed — again. Plan B could become Plan C. Republicans could schedule a vote on the CR package that failed on Thursday again. That’s clearly the package Trump wants, after his “SUCCESS in Washington” tweet.
2) A negotiated settlement. Although Trump might not like it, Democrats have a price. Johnson can get together with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and figure out what Democrats need to support a bill to fund the government past tonight.
The problem for Johnson is this runs the risk of both dividing the House Republican Conference and angering Trump by trying to again cut a deal with Jeffries. Democrats have to be convinced Johnson won’t renege again, as well as being able to deliver enough votes. Sources close to Jeffries say they can deliver the votes. The question is can Johnson?
3) Drop the debt-limit increase. If Johnson were to drop the debt-limit increase from Thursday’s bill, that might be an attractive option for Republicans and even some Democrats. Remember, that’s a three-month CR with disaster funding and an extension of the farm bill. With a shutdown just hours away, this isn’t a bad move.
Plus, many Republicans are truly opposed to Trump’s call to extend the debt limit now. Congress is six months ahead of any debt-limit deadline. Also, Trump also dropped this demand into lawmakers’ laps two days before a shutdown.
4) A short-term CR. There was some talk inside the GOP leadership and among rank-and-file members about a short-term CR to fund federal agencies until early or mid-January. But this wouldn’t change the current reality: Johnson has a very small majority, he has to deal with a volatile incoming president, face down an emboldened mega-billionaire with a social media platform and has a generally uncooperative House Republican Conference.
Stay tuned for updates…
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