The House Rules Committee decided not to vote on a bill on Monday. Short-term spending bills That would avert a government shutdown, and set the stage for a situation in which House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) would have to rely on Democrats to pass controversial legislation.
Johnson’s three-month continuing resolution, which would keep the government funded through Dec. 20, was expected to be among the list of bills approved by the GOP-controlled Rules Committee on Monday night but was not brought up for consideration after several Republicans opposed the measure.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), a member of the Rules Committee, argued that the Speaker of the House was attempting to “set up a government funding crisis the week before Christmas” in order to pressure lawmakers to vote for a bill that would be written “behind closed doors.”
“Why Christmas? So he can pressure members to vote for a bill they haven't even read, by exploiting their desire to see their families on Christmas Eve,” the Kentucky Republican wrote on X.
“We should fund the whole program for a year,” Massey said of his preferred route.
Without any rules, the House GOP leadership is expected to bring the spending bill to the floor under a procedure called suspension of the rules, which requires a two-thirds majority for passage.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) indicated the plan is to bring a continuing resolution, or CR, up for a vote on Wednesday. CBS News,
The Republican caucus has a slim majority in the House, meaning that many Democrats would have to support the three-month C.R. in order for it to pass.
Johnson, 52, unveiled his Plan B spending plan on Sunday, after the House rejected his first proposal — which combined a six-month C.R. bill with a measure that would have required voters to show proof of citizenship to cast a ballot.
“While this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the current circumstances,” Johnson wrote in a letter to colleagues. “As history has taught and current polling confirms, shutting down the government less than 40 days before a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice.”
Fourteen House Republicans joined in. Democrats have a majority That original C.R. was voted down last Wednesday and would have faced strong opposition in the Senate had it passed.
