Johnson says plan C reached to avert shutdown, vote expected
by Mike Lillis, Emily Brooks and Mychael Schnell - 12/20/24 7:36 AM ET
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Republicans have arrived at a plan C to avert a shutdown and the House will vote Friday morning on the legislation.
“Yeah, yeah, we have a plan,” Johnson said Friday morning as he entered the Capitol. “We’re expecting votes this morning, so you all stay tuned. We’ve got a plan.”
He did not say what it entails.
Lawmakers have little time to avoid a shutdown: Government funding runs out when the clock strikes midnight late Friday.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said on CNBC on shortly after Johnson’s comments Friday morning that he thinks Washington will probably avoid a shutdown since “we’re pushed up against Christmas here,” alluding to the likely path forward without directly confirming it, saying that will be up to the Speaker’s office to announce it.
“There’s a chance today a clean CR [continuing resolution], short term clean CR, it may be for two, three weeks,” Mullin said. “That was something that was discussed, you know, late last night, you know, even some discussions this morning. I’m not going to say that’s going to happen, but you know, that’s really the option that’s on the table.”
If Johnson does move forward with a clean, short-term stopgap, it is unclear if that will muster enough votes to clear the House. A handful of Republicans have historically opposed continuing resolutions, and Democrats have evaluated the Speaker’s proposals on a case-by-case basis, two factors that are fueling the chances of a shutdown so close to the deadline.
It’s also unclear if Johnson’s plan will appease President-Trump and his demand to raise the debt ceiling as part of the CR.
Friday’s vote will be the latest effort by the House to fund the government ahead of the partial shutdown deadline. And it will come hours after the House on Thursday voted down Johnson’s plan B bill that combined a three-month government funding extension with $110 billion in disaster and farm aid, some other policy measures, and a two-year suspension of the debt limit — the latter of which was a last-minute demand by Trump.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5050249-mike-johnson-house-republicans-plan-c-shutdown/