US House Republicans’ Spending Dispute Delays Stopgap Funding Legislation, According to Reuters

By Bo Erickson

WASHINGTON – Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has decided to cancel a vote planned for Wednesday regarding his stopgap funding bill. Johnson indicated that additional effort is required to rally support for the legislation, as the government faces a shutdown deadline in under three weeks.

"We’re in the consensus-building business here in Congress," Johnson told reporters at the Capitol, explaining the decision to delay the vote.

He noted that Republicans will be working throughout the weekend to find a proposal that can secure enough votes for passage, especially since his initial measure has encountered opposition from President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats.

While Johnson mentioned "consensus building," he was specifically referring to gaining agreement among Republicans on a bill that Democrats are likely to reject. This task has proven challenging at times, particularly with a faction of hard-right members who have used the party’s slim 220-211 majority to push back against the agenda of House Republican leaders.

Notably, earlier failures have included attempts to impeach the Homeland Security secretary and the rejection of a party-authored funding bill in July. The current situation mirrors these previous setbacks, as Johnson’s proposed funding bill for fiscal year 2025, starting October 1, has faced opposition from several Republicans who expressed their concerns earlier this week.

A key element of Johnson’s proposal includes a contentious requirement for individuals to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote. This provision aims to compel Democrats to take a position on the heated topic of noncitizen voting, which is already illegal in federal elections.

While many Republicans support this requirement, the hesitation from hard-right members primarily stems from a general opposition to stopgap spending measures rather than the voting provision itself.

On Wednesday, Johnson stated that the Republican leadership plans to keep pushing for support for the current funding proposal instead of making changes to the bill.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries responded by advocating for bipartisan cooperation, but also emphasized that his caucus "will never yield to MAGA extremism."

The federal government’s fiscal year ends on September 30, at which point funding for numerous agencies will expire. Without a timely extension, many federal programs not classified as essential would need to halt operations, leading to thousands of government employees being placed on leave.

Despite this setback in advancing a stopgap spending bill, there remains time for Congress to craft legislation that could be approved by both chambers and signed by Biden. However, some senior Democrats have remarked that the delay demonstrates the challenges Republicans face when attempting to navigate on their own.

"It is past time … to begin good-faith negotiations on a continuing resolution that will keep government programs and services Americans depend on," stated Representative Rosa DeLauro, the leading Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

Congress also faces an urgent deadline of January 1, by which it must take action to raise or extend the nation’s debt ceiling to avoid the risk of defaulting on over $35 trillion in federal debt.