(Matthew Doarnberger, Headline USA) Federal lawmakers are attempting to find a way to pass a continuing resolution in order to prevent a government shutdown by the end of the week.
The resolution is said to fund the government at its current level through March 14, 2025. However, the text of the funding was not released.
It put pressure on Congress to pass the bill before Friday’s midnight deadline.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressed optimism that the contents of the CR would be made public by the end of the day on Tuesday.
“The CR is coming together, bipartisan work is ongoing,” he said. “We’re almost there.”
Johnson went on to praise the resolution as a stopgap funding measure to get the party into the new year.
But he went on to address certain allocations for disaster relief caused by hurricanes Helene and Milton earlier this year.
“What would have been a very skinny, very simple clean CR, these other pieces have been added to it,” he added.
The speaker said he wishes to abide by the rule that gives members of congress 72 hours to review legislation before it is brought to the floor.
This would push the stopgap funding measure until the Friday deadline.
Despite Johnson’s optimism, other Republicans aren’t as thrilled about the CR.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, expressed his frustration at the whole process of attempting to pass the funding bill.
“This is not the process that we signed up for. We get this negotiated crap and we’re forced to eat this crap sandwich. Why? Because freaking Christmas is right around the corner,” Roy said. “It’s the same dang thing every year—legislate by crisis, legislate by calendar, not legislate because it’s the right thing to do.”
Criticism of Johnson came as Republicans are set to vote on a new speaker early next year.
The U.S. last experienced a government shutdown for 34-days from December of 2018 to January of 2019.
