WASHINGTON — House Republicans are racing against the clock as they plan to hold a crucial vote on a last-minute funding bill to prevent a government shutdown. The bill, aimed at providing three months of funding for the government, disaster relief, and farm aid, is set to be voted on just hours before the midnight shutdown deadline. The late release of the bill has raised concerns about the need for significant Democratic support to pass it through the House in time.
House Speaker’s Commitment
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has expressed his commitment to avoiding a government shutdown that could potentially impact paychecks for hundreds of thousands of federal employees just days before Christmas. Johnson assured reporters in the Capitol on Friday afternoon that the government would meet its obligations to farmers in need of aid, disaster victims, military personnel, essential services, and all those reliant on federal paychecks over the holidays.
Democratic Response
It remains uncertain how Democrats, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., will react to the standalone funding bill. Despite this, early indications suggest that the bill may garner enough Democratic support to help secure its passage through the House.
Chaos on Capitol Hill
The upcoming vote marks the culmination of days of chaos on Capitol Hill, during which negotiations were complicated by demands from President-elect Donald Trump. Trump’s insistence on including a two-year suspension of the U.S. debt limit in any funding deal to keep the government open led to a significant setback on Thursday. The bill, which included basic government funding and a debt limit increase, was defeated, with 38 Republican lawmakers joining Democrats in voting against it.
The outcome of Friday’s vote will not only determine the fate of the funding bill but will also serve as a test of Trump’s ability to navigate the complexities of the House Republican caucus. As the situation continues to unfold, stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
