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Congressional leaders on Sunday said they reached an agreement on legislation to fund the federal government for three more months, averting a shutdown and stoking right-wing ire and allegations that Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson “caved” to Democrats by dropping a key demand by his far-right colleagues.
According to The New York Times:
The deal, which extends federal appropriations through Dec. 20, includes an additional $231 million to help the beleaguered Secret Service protect candidates during the upcoming presidential election and into next year. According to the Treasury Department, the United States has spent about $6.3 trillion in fiscal 2024, which ends on Sept. 30.
The timeline of the deal allows Congress to sidestep a government shutdown during the campaign season, but it all but ensures that spending disputes will dominate the lame-duck period between the election and the inauguration of a new Congress in January.
“While I am pleased bipartisan negotiations quickly led to a government funding agreement free of cuts and poison pills, this same agreement could have been done two weeks ago,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement applauding the continuing resolution. “Instead, Speaker Johnson chose to follow the MAGA way and wasted precious time.”
Far-right Republican lawmakers had pushed Johnson to demand a proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration as part of any deal. However, Johnson dropped his demand in order to secure an agreement, drawing attacks from MAGA Republicans — some of whom called on the speaker to resign or face an ouster similar to that of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) nearly a year ago.
Meanwhile, some more moderate Republicans praised Johnson. David Frum, a commentator and former speechwriter for then-President George W. Bush, said on social media that Johnson “bested” former President Donald Trump, the 2024 GOP nominee.
Democrats also raked Johnson. MeidasTouch Network editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski said, “Just as I predicted, weak, feckless, and incompetent Mike Johnson has just surrendered again to the Democrats after Trump forced him into a public humiliation.”
“Republicans can’t govern,” he added.
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