The House blocked Speaker Mike Johnson’s new and improved continuing resolution on Thursday night despite earning the support from President-elect Donald Trump.
The CR failed in a 235-174 vote, with 172 Republicans and two Democrats voting in favor of the 116-page bill — and 38 Republicans joining 197 Democrats to block it. Since the vote was under suspension, it would have required two-thirds of the vote to successfully pass the CR. Although the bill failed under suspension, Johnson could seek a rule to pass the bill under a simple majority.
While the new CR had a more positive reception within the Republican conference, some fiscal conservatives, like Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, sided against the bill.
In order to avert a government shutdown, Congress must pass a funding bill before the December 20 midnight deadline, just one day after Johnson introduced the skinny CR.
Johnson’s first CR was drastically larger, containing 1,547 pages of congressional pay raises, health care provisions, and disaster aid. After a conservative revolt, Johnson put forth a clean CR that would fund the government through March 14, keeping the provisions for farm aid and disaster relief but stripping the “ridiculous” and “extraordinarily expensive” provisions that Trump and his allies took issue with.
“SUCCESS in Washington!” Trump said of the new CR on Thursday. “Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have come to a very good Deal for the American People.”
“The newly agreed to American Relief Act of 2024 will keep the Government open, fund our Great Farmers and others, and provide relief for those severely impacted by the devastating hurricanes,” Trump said. “A VERY important piece, VITAL to the America First Agenda, was added as well – The date of the very unnecessary Debt Ceiling will be pushed out two years, to January 30, 2027.”
While the new CR had a more positive reception within the Republican conference, some fiscal conservatives, like Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, sided against the bill.
“Old bill: $110BB in deficit spending (unpaid for), $0 increase in the national credit card,” Roy said in a Thursday post on X. “New bill: $110BB in deficit spending (unpaid for), $4 TRILLION+ debt ceiling increase with $0 in structural reforms for cuts. Time to read the bill: 1.5 hours. I will vote no.”
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