Three of Congress’s high 4 leaders had a loud and unified message for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) after they met with him on the White Home on Tuesday: Ignore the strain from conservative critics and keep away from a authorities shutdown on Friday.
Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) emerged from the assembly, which members described as “intense” and “passionate,” feeling considerably reassured that Johnson heard their pleas.
“It was a productive and intense assembly,” Schumer mentioned outdoors the White Home. “We made it so clear that we are able to’t have the shutdown as a result of it hurts so many individuals in so many alternative methods.”
Schumer mentioned “the Speaker didn’t reject” the warning and “mentioned he desires to keep away from a authorities shutdown.”
Jeffries mentioned after the assembly that the ambiance was “intense” as leaders within the room, which included President Biden and Vice President Harris, emphasised “the necessity to keep away from a authorities shutdown and to fund the federal government so we are able to tackle the wants of the American public.”
He mentioned negotiators are making “actual progress” on the appropriations payments for federal departments and companies that may see their funding lapse after March 1 with out congressional motion. These payments embrace funding for navy building and the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Vitality, Transportation and Housing and City Growth.
“I’m cautiously optimistic that we are able to do what is important within the subsequent day or so to shut down these payments and keep away from a authorities shutdown,” he mentioned.
However he additionally warned that Congress might should cross one other stopgap spending measure to present negotiators extra time to succeed in a deal to fund the departments of Protection, Homeland Safety, Well being and Human Providers and different companies that may see their funding lapse after a second March 8 deadline.
A Republican senator who requested anonymity to debate inner technique for avoiding a authorities shutdown mentioned the target of the White Home assembly was to pile strain on Johnson.
“When you may display it’s type of three in opposition to one, you may type of strain or affect somebody, and I hope that’s what he senses,” the senator mentioned.
“This can be a bipartisan effort to make sure that we’re doing the fitting factor and retaining the federal government open, and it’s okay for him to have a bipartisan vote” to cross funding laws to keep away from a shutdown, the senator added.
The opposite leaders within the room additionally introduced a unified entrance to Johnson on the necessity to cross a Senate-approved international support bundle that features $60 billion for Ukraine.
McConnell was the primary individual within the assembly to put out the explanations to Johnson for not ready longer to cross navy support for Ukraine, which faces dropping floor to Russia due to dwindling provides.
Talking to reporters afterward, McConnell mentioned he hoped Johnson would carry the international support bundle up for a vote.
“What I hope is that the Home would take up the Senate invoice and let the Home work its method,” he mentioned. “If they alter it and ship it again right here, we’ve additional delay. Not solely can we not need to shut the federal government down, we don’t need the Russians to win in Ukraine.
“And so we’ve a time downside right here. And the easiest way to maneuver shortly and to get the invoice to the president can be for the Home to take up the Senate invoice and cross it,” he added.
The Republican senator conceded that Johnson may face a movement to vacate the Speaker’s chair if he angers Home conservatives however warned there’s no probability he can cross laws to maintain the federal government funded with out Democratic votes.
A Senate Republican aide warned a authorities shutdown can be “dumb on coverage and political grounds” and acknowledged that GOP senators aren’t certain how Johnson will react to strain from Home conservatives who’re pushing so as to add coverage riders which can be a non-starter with Democrats, who management the Senate and White Home.
The aide in contrast Johnson to a pendulum swinging from one place to a different on how you can deal with the federal government funding payments.
Johnson informed reporters after the White Home assembly that he’s “very optimistic” about avoiding a shutdown.
“Now we have been working in good religion across the clock each single day for months and weeks, and during the last a number of days, fairly actually across the clock to get that job carried out. We’re very optimistic,” he mentioned. “We imagine that we are able to get to settlement on these points and forestall a authorities shutdown, that’s our first accountability.”
Whereas Johnson informed fellow congressional leaders on the White Home that he desires to keep away from a shutdown and has handed two earlier stopgap funding payments with assist from Democrats, he has but to indicate he’s keen to get right into a battle with members of the Home Freedom Caucus that might wind up costing him his management job.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) mentioned on the Senate flooring Tuesday that the coverage riders Freedom Caucus conservatives are attempting so as to add to the spending payments are threatening to derail the laws earlier than the March 1 and March 8 deadlines.
“The largest impediment proper now has been Republican poison tablets that have been by no means really on the desk. They have been at all times going to be non-starters,” she mentioned.
“However we’ve made actually good progress on the primary few payments, and we are able to get them carried out if excessive calls for are pushed apart. We can’t let a couple of far-right extremists derail the fundamental functioning of presidency,” she added.
High Tales from The Hill
Senate Democrats and Republicans — in addition to Home Democrats — have change into more and more involved about Johnson’s capability to keep away from a shutdown in mild of how a lot problem he’s confronted passing laws this and final 12 months.
The low level for the Speaker got here earlier this month when he miscalculated the vote depend for 2 articles of impeachment in opposition to Homeland Safety Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, which initially failed by a vote of 214 to 216 after three Republicans opposed the measure.
Then proper after that failure, Johnson couldn’t get the votes to cross an $18 billion Israel support invoice, which he tried to advance with a maneuver that allowed him to get round opposition to the invoice in his personal convention however required two-thirds assist.
The Speaker was additionally compelled to tug a number of payments off the Home flooring final 12 months when it grew to become clear he couldn’t muster sufficient votes within the GOP convention to beat a procedural hurdle.
McConnell warned Home Republicans this week {that a} authorities shutdown would solely harm their occasion politically.
“Shutting down the federal government is dangerous to the nation. And it by no means produces constructive outcomes — on coverage or politics,” he declared on the Senate flooring Monday.
He argued that “a shutdown this week is solely avoidable.”
After assembly with Johnson on the White Home, McConnell expressed cautious optimism a shutdown can be averted this week.
“I believe it’s fairly protected to say all of us agree we have to keep away from a authorities shutdown. The Speaker was optimistic that they’ll have the ability to transfer ahead first with the 4 payments,” McConnell mentioned.
“Underneath no circumstance does anyone need to shut the federal government down, so I believe we are able to cease that drama proper right here earlier than it emerges. We’re merely not going to do this,” he insisted.
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