Plus, why it’s considered an unconventional approach.
As the U.S. government barrels toward a partial shutdown on Friday, newly-minted Speaker Mike Johnson took a more unconventional approach to keeping the lights on and it’s looking promising.
On Tuesday, the House passed his two-step temporary funding measure that extends funding for some agencies, like housing and transportation, until Jan. 19, while continuing funding for others until Feb. 2.
But the bill doesn’t notably include the steep budget cuts demanded by hardline conservatives, or White House funding requests for Israel and Ukraine. This could explain why 93 Republicans opposed it (as did two Democrats). Luckily, it it still cleared the two-thirds threshold required for passage.
As the bill heads to the Senate, here’s a breakdown of what it includes and why it’s getting such a strong reaction from both sides of the aisle.
What does Mike Johnson’s two-part spending plan entail?
The first bill would extend funding for military construction, Veterans Affairs, transportation, housing, and the Energy Department. Then the second part of the bill would cover the rest of the government, such as the State Department and Homeland Security. But it notably doesn’t funding for Israel and Ukraine.
This two-step approach is considered unusual for a stopgap spending bill. Generally speaking, lawmakers usually extend funding until a certain date for all programs, but the Speaker decided to break it up to put House Republicans “in the best position to fight for conservative victories.”
“The bill will stop the absurd holiday-season omnibus tradition of massive, loaded-up spending bills introduced right before the Christmas recess,” Johnson said in a statement after announcing the proposal.
How much support did it get?
The GOP speaker’s plan initially faced criticism from both sides. Republicans like Reps. Chip Roy and Marjorie Taylor Greene both panned it as did Democrats, with Sen. Chris Murphy calling it “gimmicky” for its layered approach to spending.
Despite this pushback, it passed with bipartisan support 336 to 95. As seen with the last continuing resolution, it received more support from Democratic lawmakers than their Republican counterparts. (All in all, 209 Democrats and 127 Republicans joined forces to pass it.)
In terms of the next steps, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he plans to hold a vote on the bill “as soon as possible,” and if it clears the upper chamber, the White House has said that President Biden is prepared to sign it into law.
What happens if the government shuts down before Thanksgiving?
If senators fail to pass the spending deal, then the government will come to a grinding halt on Saturday at 12:01 am ET, which also unfortunately coincides with Thanksgiving.
Even though flights wouldn’t immediately get grounded, a shutdown could result in even longer lines and delays if some 63,000 airport workers are forced to work without pay. And airports could be especially crowded this year: An estimated 4.7 million Americans are expected to fly over the five days surrounding Thanksgiving, which marks the highest level in nearly two decades, according to AAA.
You can also expect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid services, such as receiving replacement cards, to be slower than usual. But luckily, the lapse in funding won’t affect these payments themselves.
But if you were banking on a delayed internet or cable bill, then you might be disappointed as the U.S. Postal Service won’t be affected by the shutdown because it uses its own revenue stream, so don’t forget about paying them.
