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By Ewan Palmer
News Reporter
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What's New
Several GOP lawmakers have lashed out at House Speaker Mike Johnson after congressional leaders on Tuesday announced a short-term stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown.
The continuing resolution, which is to include just over $100 billion in disaster relief and $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers, aims to keep federal agencies funded through March 14 if approved by Congress. Missouri Republican Representative Eric Burlison criticized the bill as "garbage" after Johnson presented the plan during a morning conference on Tuesday. Others Republicans have indicated they would not vote for the bill.
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Newsweek has contacted Johnson's office for comment via email outside of regular working hours.
Why It Matters
Johnson faces a reelection vote to remain House speaker in the GOP-controlled House next year. The Republican Party's upcoming slim 220-215 majority in the lower chamber means Johnson will need near-unanimous support from his Republican colleagues to retain the gavel.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was removed from the role in October 2023 in a historic motion to vacate after several GOP lawmakers condemned his negotiations with Democrats to pass a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown.
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What to Know
The government will shut down from Saturday unless the spending bill is approved by both the House and Senate.
The vote to pass the bill will be one of the last acts Congress carries out this year before it adjourns for the holidays and a new term begins in January.
Representative Eli Crane of Arizona, who previously voted to remove McCarthy, and South Carolina Representative Ralph Norman said they would not vote for the spending bill. Both lawmakers responded "we'll see" when asked by CNN if their objection would influence their decision to support Johnson in the House speaker vote on January 3.
A number of GOP lawmakers have expressed frustration over the proposed spending bill.
Republicans have suggested the sprawling measure, which runs more than 1,500 pages, is omnibus legislation—a single spending package that ties together multiple bills—rather than a continuing resolution (CR) to temporarily extend funding at existing levels.
Others have also criticized the timing of the massive spending package just before Congress breaks for Christmas, saying they will be forced to accept the terms or risk being blamed for a government shutdown.
The $100 billion in emergency aid to help states hit by recent natural disasters was a key provision supported by Democrats and the Biden administration.
What People Are Saying
Republican Representative Eric Burlison of Missouri told ABC News: "I think it's garbage...I think that [Johnson] can do better. He can communicate better. The fact that we haven't seen the language today and we're supposed to vote on it this week is unacceptable."
Texas Republican Representative Chip Roy spoke to The Hill: "We get this negotiated crap, and we're forced to eat this crap sandwich. Why? Because freaking Christmas is right around the corner. It's the same dang thing every year. Legislate by crisis, legislate by calendar. Not legislate because it's the right thing to do."
Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia told The Hill: "It's not a CR, which is a continuation of the budget. It's turning into an omnibus."
Florida Representative Byron Donalds, a Republican, told CNN: "A deal put together like this, the number one question is, 'What did the other side get?'"
House Speaker Mike Johnson speaking to ABC News: "I'm not worried about the speaker's vote. We're governing. Everybody knows we have difficult circumstances. We're doing the very best we can under those circumstances. These are the hard choices that lawmakers have to make, but we will get the job done, as we always do. We will keep moving forward, and in January, we have a new lease on all this."
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement on Tuesday: "With this agreement, we are now on our way to avoiding a government shutdown. In order to finish the job and avert a shutdown, both chambers must continue to work in a bipartisan fashion and put American families first."
What Happens Next
A House vote on whether to approve the spending bill will take place some time this week. If it fails, the government will shut down starting Saturday.
The House speaker election, in which Johnson will seek to retain his role, is to take place January 3, 2025, on the opening day of the 119th Congress.
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