by Mychael Schnell and Emily Brooks at The Hill
The House on Thursday torpedoed Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) plan B to avert a government shutdown and suspend the debt limit, dealing a blow to the GOP leader and catapulting the conference back to square one as it stares down Friday’s funding deadline.
The measure — which Johnson rolled out hours roughly three hours before the vote — failed to clear the chamber in a 174-235-1 vote, falling short of the two-thirds threshold needed for passage under the fast-track suspension of the rules process.
The bill met its demise after Democrats — led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), who called the legislation “laughable” — and a handful of conservative Republicans came out against the legislation, largely over the inclusion of a two-year suspension of the debt limit, which was a demand made by President-elect Trump.
It remains unclear what path Johnson pursues next. Given the Republican opposition,…
Click HERE to continue reading this article
_____________________________________
by Jennifer Scholtes, Katherine Tully-McManus and Meredith Lee Hill at Politico
President-elect Donald Trump endorsed a new Republican deal Thursday afternoon to avert a government shutdown and raise the nation’s debt limit for two years, after sinking the bipartisan agreement Speaker Mike Johnson originally struck with Democrats.
“All Republicans, and even the Democrats, should do what is best for our Country and vote ‘YES’ for this Bill, TONIGHT!” Trump wrote.
The news caught House Democrats by surprise, and the caucus is expected to meet Thursday afternoon to discuss the new deal. Johnson will almost certainly need their votes to pass the bill, text of which was released shortly after Trump expressed approval.
The House is expected to vote on the plan as early as 6 p.m. on Thursday, according to three Republicans, ahead of the government shutdown deadline Friday at midnight.
The plan Johnson is expected to put on the House floor would fund the government through March 14, just like the spending patch he agreed to with Democrats, and also includes the $110 billion disaster aid package mirroring that bipartisan negotiation. But the measure contains a straightforward extension of current “farm bill” policy for food and agriculture programs, along with a simple renewal of expiring health care policy, rather than making changes to those programs and adding new policy like overhauling rules for pharmacy benefit managers.
Trump on Wednesday…
Continue Reading