Lawmakers widely expect Speaker Mike Johnson will put a spending bill on the floor next week that has widespread Democratic support — funding the government into December without a GOP election proposal.
Johnson (R-La.) himself isn’t indicating what his Plan B is after his initial spending plan, which paired government funding through March with a Republican plan to require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote, failed on the House floor Wednesday night. Fourteen GOP members voted against it.
Five Republicans familiar with the internal discussions indicate that the House’s ultimate landing spot is inevitable anyway: They’ll have to vote next week on a “clean” bill to fund the government into December, forcing Johnson to lean on Democrats to avoid a shutdown that would kick in on Oct. 1.
Many House Republicans — including those tasked with funding the government — increasingly expect that he’ll soon greenlight that plan. That prediction is also shared by House Democrats and multiple senators.
