Congressional leaders ready stopgap bill to extend Govt funding to March

Congressional leaders are preparing a stopgap bill to keep the federal government running into March and avoid a partial shutdown next week. The temporary measure will run to March 1 for some federal agencies whose approved funds are set to run out Friday and extend the remainder of government operations to March 8. That’s according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

Quick Read

1. Purpose of the Bill: The bill aims to keep the federal government operational and avoid a partial shutdown.
2. Duration of the Measure: The stopgap will extend funding until March 1 for some federal agencies, and until March 8 for the rest of the government operations.
3. Bill Release and Anonymity: The bill is expected to be released on Sunday, with the information provided by an anonymous source familiar with the situation.
4. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Position: As the House Speaker, Johnson faces pressure from the hard-right faction of his party to abandon a bipartisan spending deal with Senate Democrats. Despite this, he has reaffirmed his commitment to the deal he made with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
5. Internal Party Dynamics: Johnson’s leadership is being tested, especially in managing dissent from the right wing of his party, which was instrumental in the ousting of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
6. Details of the Agreement: The budget agreement reached on January 7 sets spending at $1.66 trillion for the next fiscal year, allocating $886 billion for defense.
7. Opposition from Hard-Right Members: Some members who played a role in ousting McCarthy are criticizing the spending deal and have even threatened to oust Johnson.
8. Immigration Policy Demands: The hard-right faction is also demanding the inclusion of new immigration policies to address the influx of migrants at the U.S-Mexico border.
9. Support from Centrists: Centrist Republicans in the House have expressed support for Johnson, urging him to honor the agreement and resist pressure to renegotiate.
10. Negotiation Background: The initial agreement was part of a negotiation that involved former Speaker McCarthy, President Joe Biden, and other leaders.

The Associated Press has the story:

Congressional leaders ready stopgap bill to extend Govt funding to March

Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —

Congressional leaders are preparing a stopgap bill to keep the federal government running into March and avoid a partial shutdown next week.

The temporary measure will run to March 1 for some federal agencies whose approved funds are set to run out Friday and extend the remainder of government operations to March 8. That’s according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

The stopgap bill, expected to be released Sunday, would come as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has been under pressure from his hard-right flank in recent days to jettison a recent bipartisan spending deal with Senate Democrats. The bill would need Democratic support to pass the narrowly divided House.

Johnson insisted Friday that he is sticking with the deal he struck with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., despite pressure from some conservatives to renegotiate. Moderates in the party had urged him to stay the course.

Still, in his first big test as the new leader, he has yet to show how he will quell the revolt from his right flank that ousted his predecessor.

“Our top-line agreement remains,” Johnson said Friday, referring to the budget accord reached Jan. 7.

That accord sets $1.66 trillion in spending for the next fiscal year, with $886 billion of the tally going to defense.

Hard-right members have criticized the deal, including several of those who helped oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s office last year after he struck a spending deal with Democrats and President Joe Biden. Some have already raised the threat of a motion to oust Johnson over the deal, not even three months after he was elected.

The hard-right flank is also insisting that new immigration policies be included, which they say would stop the record flow of migrants at the U.S-Mexico border.

Johnson met with about two dozen House Republicans this past week, many of them centrist-leaning voices urging him not to go back on his word and stick with the deal. The centrists assured Johnson they have his back.

“I just can’t imagine the House wants to relive the madness,” said Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., who had helped McCarthy negotiate the initial agreement with Biden and the other leaders.

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