House lawmakers are set to soon vote on a bill to avert a partial government shutdown after a similar measure backed by President-elect Trump failed on Thursday.
Congress is scrambling for a path forward as the clock ticks closer to the federal funding deadline, with a partial shutdown expected just after midnight Saturday if no action is taken.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., suggested there would be a House-wide vote Friday when leaving a closed-door House GOP meeting where leaders presented their plan.
“I expect that we will be proceeding forward,” Johnson said. “We will not have a government shutdown, and we will meet our obligations for our farmers who need aid, for the disaster victims all over the country, and for making sure that military and essential services, and everyone who relies upon the federal government for a paycheck is paid over the holidays.”
DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER
Multiple lawmakers told Fox News Digital that the forthcoming legislation would extend current government funding levels through mid-March – a measure known as a continuing resolution (CR) – paired with just over $100 billion in disaster relief aid for victims of storms Helene and Milton, as well as assistance for the agriculture industry.
Johnson’s aim is to bypass regular House procedures to get the legislation straight to a chamber-wide vote, a maneuver known as “suspension of the rules.”
In exchange for the fast track, however, the threshold for passage is raised from a simple majority to two-thirds of the House chamber – meaning Democratic support is critical.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., told reporters that he believed Johnson struck an agreement with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
A longtime Johnson critic, Massie said he would not vote for the bill and did not support Johnson to be speaker in January.
