Mike Johnson’s Plan C Aims to Stop Government Shutdown

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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) revealed on Friday that the House Republicans are preparing a new plan to avert a government shutdown, which could occur if Congress fails to pass a spending bill by the end of the day. Johnson, entering the Capitol building on Friday morning, confirmed that a plan was in place, stating that votes were expected in the morning and urging everyone to stay tuned.

The government faces a shutdown if a spending bill is not approved by the deadline. The House recently rejected a short-term spending bill after Republican leadership abandoned a compromise plan with Democrats, citing the inclusion of provisions such as benefits for Big Pharma and other controversial carveouts.

The Battle Over the Spending Deal

An unprecedented 38 Republicans voted against the Trump-endorsed deal, with nine others not voting. Former President Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance played pivotal roles in the rejection of the deal. Trump argued that the agreement should have addressed the debt limit issue to ease the burden on the next Congress, significantly reshaping the debate.

Trump’s intervention led to a revised proposal that eliminated over a thousand pages of unrelated provisions, focusing solely on keeping the government open. This revision was well-received by House conservatives, including Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, who voiced support for a “clean” stop-gap spending bill (a continuing resolution, or CR).

Resistance to Deals with Democrats

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) made it clear that Republicans were not willing to “cut deals with Democrats,” aligning with the approach laid out by Trump the previous day. She hinted that the Republicans’ new plan would mirror Trump’s vision for the situation.

Trump Weighs In on Potential Shutdown

Former President Donald Trump made his stance clear on social media, suggesting that if a shutdown were to occur, it should happen under President Joe Biden’s administration. Trump wrote that if a government shutdown were to occur, it should happen under the Biden Administration, not after January 20th under TRUMP. He emphasized that while this was a problem for Biden to solve, Republicans would help if they could.

Impact of a Government Shutdown

Despite concerns from many in Washington, DC, about the potential consequences of a government shutdown, some experts, such as Breitbart News Economics Editor John Carney, downplayed the economic impact. Carney pointed to the five-week shutdown in late 2018 as evidence that shutdowns have a minimal effect on the broader economy.

As the clock ticks toward the deadline, it remains uncertain whether Democrats and President Biden will approve a clean continuing resolution to prevent a shutdown. However, Speaker Johnson’s team is pushing forward with their plan in hopes of securing the votes needed to keep the government running.