On the march to the goal line, Republicans decided to punt.
House Approves Revised Plan to Avert Government Shutdown
After floating a nonsensical idea to go for three separate bills, Johnson decided to opt for a single bill to avoid a government shutdown.
On his third try, House Approves Revised Plan to Avert Government Shutdown
The proposal approved Friday would extend government funding until March 14, while also providing more $100 billion in disaster relief and $10 billion in economic aid for farmers. The bill also includes a one-year extension of the farm bill, the cornerstone of U.S. food and agriculture policy.
GOP lawmakers pledged to raise the debt ceiling and cut spending next year, but not vote on it now. President-elect Donald Trump had demanded in recent days that lawmakers vote to raise the borrowing cap before he takes office.
House Republicans were forced to formulate the new approach after a bipartisan plan released Tuesday was torpedoed by Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk, and a slimmed-down measure backed by Trump was defeated resoundingly in a floor vote Thursday night. The bill approved Friday strips out a series of other provisions that were included in the bipartisan deal that Trump shot down, such as restrictions on investments in China.
We did not need a new approach, and we should be grateful that Musk torpedoed the bill.
NBC news reports House Passes Bill to Avoid a Shutdown
The vote was 366-34, with all opposition coming from Republicans and one member voting present.
The package funds the government at current levels through March 14, and includes $100 billion in disaster aid and a one-year farm bill — while stripping out a debt limit extension demanded by President-elect Trump earlier in the week.
On Wednesday, Trump had threatened to primary “Any Republican” who voted for a funding bill without a debt limit extension; on Friday, 170 House Republicans did just that.
“We are really grateful that tonight, in bipartisan fashion, with overwhelming majority of votes, we passed the American Relief Act of 2025. This is a very important piece of legislation,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters after the vote. “It funds the government, of course, until March of 2025. That was a big priority for us.”
Earlier Friday, leaders floated breaking up the package into three separate parts and having lawmakers vote on them individually on the floor, according to GOP sources familiar with the plan. But the one-package proposal was seen as an easier lift with the clock ticking down.
Exiting the private GOP meeting, Johnson told reporters there would not be a shutdown and that House Republicans are “unified.”
United Republicans?
34 republicans voted no.
Initially, in the next Congress, Republican can not afford any Republican defections.
Once Matt Gaetz (who resigned) and two Trump appointments from the House are replaced, Republicans will be able to afford two defections.
Musk Comment
“The Speaker did a good job here, given the circumstances. It went from a bill that weighed pounds to a bill that weighed ounces. Ball should now be in the Dem court.”
Mercy! The record shows Johnson tried to pass a 1,500 page monstrosity. Then he failed a second time on a 116 page bill that included a hike in the debt ceiling.
Democrats were smart to approve this final versions and they voted unanimously to do so. That alone should tell you that it was not the optimum Republican strategy.
No Pay Raise, No Debt Ceiling Hike
Rumors on Twitter, inaccurately confirmed by Grok, say Congress gave itself a retroactive pay raise.
However, the Text of the New Bill does not contain any of the following words (raise, COLA, retroactive, living). I could find no references to any section that contained a pay raise.
I appreciate the fact that the bill did not raise the debt ceiling like Trump wanted.
That’s a good thing.
But I would not call this bill a victory. Nor is it a total disaster.
It’s best viewed as quarterback Johnson punting on third down and one yard to go while inside the opponents territory. On the previous two plays, Johnson fumbled the ball.
I stick with my assessment Dear Congress, Please Shut Down, There’s No Need to Address the Budget this Year
But on the march to the goal line, Republicans decided to punt.