WASHINGTON — Only hours left until federal government it starts turning off due to lack of funds, Republicans in the House of Representatives plan to vote on the bill on Friday finance the government for three months and provides disaster relief and agricultural assistance.
But to pass the full House before the midnight deadline, the bill released late Friday afternoon will require significant Democratic support. It will also need a realistic path to passing a Democratic-controlled Senate.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, D-La., said he would make every effort to avoid a shutdown that could jeopardize the paychecks of hundreds of thousands of federal workers in the days before Christmas.
“We will not have a government shutdown,” Johnson told reporters on Capitol Hill Friday afternoon. “We will fulfill our commitments to farmers in need, to disaster victims across the country, and to ensure that the military and essential services, and everyone whose wages depend on the federal government, receive their paychecks over the holidays.”
It was unclear how the Democrats, led by the Minority Leader Hakeem JeffriesDN.Y., would react to a separate bill. However, early signs were encouraging.
“This is a bill that could gain the confidence of enough Democrats to help the Speaker of the House pass it,” Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., a longtime party leader, said on “The White House Deadline.”
According to Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman, earlier in the day, Jeffries told a group of politically vulnerable Democrats that he hoped to resolve the impasse.
The vote will end several days of chaos at the Capitol, during which Johnson tried unsuccessfully to meet President-elect Donald Trump's demands.
Trump and a billionaire campaign donor Elon MuskTesla's CEO condemned the initial financing plan negotiated on Wednesday to failure by sharply criticizing its provisions, leaving Republicans struggling most of Thursday to find a solution. replacement plan.
In particular, Trump insisted that any deal to keep the government open must include a two-year suspension of the U.S. debt limit. The cap is the maximum amount the federal government can borrow to cover its expenses.
The debt ceiling is a recurring, fierce debate in Washington every few years, in which the political party that is in the minority usually has a lot of influence. Trump appears keen to avoid this fight early in his second term.
But for many hard-line conservative Republicans, allowing the United States to borrow more money is a step too far.
This was clearly visible during Thursday's match Billwhich included total government funding and a debt ceiling increase was soundly rejected. Nearly every Democrat was joined by 38 rank-and-file Republicans in voting no then, after them the party leader publicly supported the deal.
If Friday's effort to avoid a shutdown succeeds, it will be a reminder to Trump how difficult it is to control the notoriously contentious House Republican caucus.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.