The White House appears to indicate that President Biden will accept a short-term spending plan to avoid the government shutdown announced by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Los Angeles.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a top Biden ally, told reporters that he discussed Johnson’s proposal with administration officials hours before it was scheduled to be voted on in the House.
“I think we all want to avoid a shutdown. I’ve talked to the White House, and we both agree, the White House and I, that if this can avoid a shutdown, that would be a good thing,” Schumer said. He said in a press conference on Tuesday.
The House of Representatives is preparing to vote to avoid a government shutdown in Johnson’s first big test as speaker
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., gave tacit approval to House Speaker Johnson, R-La., C.R.’s plan.
Messages from top Democrats in Washington, D.C., will likely encourage left-wing lawmakers to cross the aisle and support the proposal — which they will need, given the growing defections from the right wing of Johnson’s party.
Democrats remain wary of splitting government funding deadlines, a move Schumer called “idiot” on Tuesday.
Speaker Johnson lays out plan to avoid government shutdown and prevent ‘atrocity spending’
But he delivered overall victories for his party because “the proposal before the House does two things that Democrats pushed for.”
“First, not making the hard right cuts that the MAGA wing is demanding. And second, making sure that if they were going to do this kind of goofy ladder, that defense would be on the second part of the ladder, not the first.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Los Angeles, will hold a House vote on his Republican bill Tuesday afternoon. (Ting Xin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle have acknowledged that they will need more time to put together spending priorities for fiscal year 2024, so a short-term bill known as a continuing resolution is warranted. Lawmakers risk a partial government shutdown if nothing is done by Friday.
Johnson’s new “listed” bill would set two different deadlines for funding the 12 individual appropriations bills introduced by Congress — a Jan. 19 date for four of the traditionally less controversial bills and a Feb. 2 deadline for other bills, including defense spending.
Speaker Johnson draws battle lines before confronting government spending
A House Democratic aide told Fox News Digital that they expect a broad segment of their caucus to vote for the Czech Republic.
The bill will need to pass votes amid fears that the far-right opposition could block the Czech Republic in a procedural vote. House leaders choose to bring it to the floor through a maneuver called suspension.
Schumer suggested that President Biden is open to signing a short-term spending plan to avoid a government shutdown. (Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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But abandoning the initial vote means the draft resolution would need approval from two-thirds of House members to pass, rather than a simple majority.
Many conservatives in the House of Representatives oppose passing any legislative resolution that does not reduce spending or enact conservative policies, while others oppose a one-year extension of several key American programs.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
