
As Shutdown Looms, US House Republicans Seek Temporary Solution – Reuters
By David Morgan
WASHINGTON – Republicans in control of the U.S. House of Representatives displayed no clear consensus on Tuesday regarding a government funding strategy to keep federal agencies operational, only 10 days before a potential shutdown deadline.
Lawmakers, holding a narrow 221-212 majority, convened privately to discuss various options for a temporary funding measure known as a continuing resolution (CR), which would extend federal funding beyond its current expiration date of November 17.
"Everybody’s got a little bit different position, different opinions," said Representative Brian Babin following the closed-door discussions. "Right now, we’re cogitating about it."
House Speaker Mike Johnson, the leading Republican in Congress, characterized the debate as "positive."
"We certainly want to avoid a government shutdown. It’s a dangerous time around the world right now. We recognize that," Johnson said at a news conference. "We’ll be revealing what our plan is in short order."
Republican lawmakers expressed concerns about being compelled to support a funding plan from the Democratic-led Senate. They anticipate that Johnson will present a stopgap proposal in the coming days, aiming for a House vote early the following week.
"He is going to make a play call, and I would expect that the overwhelming majority of the conference would back his play," said Representative Dusty Johnson.
Congress must pass 12 appropriations bills to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year. House Republicans are particularly focused on full-year appropriations for transportation, housing, urban development, and financial services. Seven partisan Republican bills of the 12 required spending measures have already passed the chamber, while the Senate has advanced three appropriations bills in a bipartisan format known as a minibus.
Johnson has a narrow margin for error and cannot afford to lose more than four Republican votes on any measure that faces Democratic opposition. Some hardline Republicans are pressing for a so-called laddered CR that would push the Democratic-led Senate to align with the House on full-year funding for 2024.
Recent actions by Republicans have already strained ties with Democrats, particularly efforts to connect aid for Israel and Ukraine with partisan policy demands concerning the Internal Revenue Service and border security.
"What we need is bipartisan solutions," stated Representative Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic conference. "That’s the only way we provide national security help to our allies. That’s the only way we solve any issue related to the border. That’s the only way we fund government."
Additionally, some hardliners advocate for policy requirements that would further secure the U.S.-Mexico border or establish a commission to propose reforms for mandatory spending programs like Social Security and Medicare.
As the deadline looms, other Republicans argue that a straightforward CR—free of conditions and extending into mid-January—could secure bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
Representative Eli Crane, a conservative, admitted that a CR including border measures now seems unlikely. "There was a hesitance in there to tie the border to it," Crane said. "I don’t think that that’s the direction they were headed."
Another potential approach for House Republicans is to engage in negotiations with the Democratic-led Senate for a "clean" CR, which could pass both chambers swiftly.
"My preference is to avoid a government shutdown and to make sure that we’re taking care of our military in this tumultuous period on the geopolitical stage," remarked Representative Mike Garcia. "We can’t freeze military pay."