Speaker Mike Johnson has pulled a bill that would fund the government for six months due to Republican dissension. Current funding expires on September 30.
“No vote today because we’re in the consensus building business here in Congress. With small majorities, that’s what you do,” Johnson told reporters outside the House chamber. “We’re having thoughtful conversations, family conversations within the Republican conference and I believe we’ll get there.”
The bill already faces tough sledding because Johnson is committed to including the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act) in the spending bill. So Johnson needs a nearly unanimous vote by the GOP to move the bill to the Senate, where the same spending theater that we know and love will take place.
GOP concerns fall into two categories. There are Republicans who oppose continuing spending at current levels, and there are those who oppose the idea of a continuing resolution and demand Congress do its job of passing annual spending bills instead of a Porkulus bill sustained for some years by continuing resolutions.
