House conservatives revolt over GOP-backed spending bill to avoid shutdown

Washington — Home Speaker Mike Johnson is going through a revolt from his fellow Republicans over a last-minute measure to maintain the federal government funded into the spring and keep away from a shutdown, with an rising variety of allies — together with President-elect Donald Trump — objecting to billions of dollars in spending that has been added to the invoice.

Two sources acquainted with the matter inform CBS News that Trump opposes the stopgap funding measure, which was launched late Tuesday. Fox News host Lawrence Jones posted on X that Trump informed him that he’s “completely towards” the laws.

Lawmakers are going through a Friday deadline to approve new spending. The invoice would prolong funding by way of March 14, however it additionally consists of catastrophe assist, well being care coverage extenders and a pay elevate for members of Congress, amongst different provisions. The catastrophe reduction portion of the invoice alone carries a price ticket of $110 billion.

The laws instantly sparked anger from a number of members of the Home Republican convention, principally focused at Johnson. Whereas the speaker had pledged to keep away from the sort of large, end-of-year spending payments that conservatives detest, the ultimate product resembled a scaled-down model of what the occasion’s proper flank has railed towards for years now.

However the Republicans’ slim majority within the Home means Johnson will want Democratic votes to go the invoice, a dynamic that gave the minority extra leverage to extract concessions throughout negotiations.

Johnson acknowledged that the invoice was supposed to be “very skinny” earlier than a “couple of intervening issues” occurred, citing the devastation left by hurricanes earlier this yr. 

Earlier than the textual content of the invoice was launched, Johnson dismissed Republican issues that the persevering with decision was equal to an “omnibus” invoice, a time period used when Congress packages the annual appropriations payments that fund many federal authorities companies into one massive piece of laws.

“This isn’t an omnibus, OK?” Johnson mentioned at his weekly information convention on Tuesday. “This can be a small [continuing resolution] that we had so as to add issues to that have been out of our management. These should not man-made disasters. These are issues that the federal authorities has an acceptable function to do.” 

Additional angering conservatives was Johnson’s vow to provide members 72 hours to learn the invoice earlier than a vote. However a vote may come as quickly as Wednesday, giving lawmakers lower than 24 hours to get by way of the practically 1,550-page textual content. 

Rep. Eric Burlison, a Missouri Republican, on Tuesday known as the method “a complete dumpster hearth.” He mentioned he was “disenchanted” in Johnson and known as on him to “talk higher.” Different members, like Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, have dubbed the invoice the “Cramnibus.” Rep. Kat Cammack, a Florida Republican, mentioned the measure was “a band-aid that’s laced with fentanyl.” 

“There is a sure sandwich that is made from feces, and that is what I might evaluate this to,” mentioned Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, additionally of Florida. She argued that pairing catastrophe reduction with the measure places members in a troublesome spot. “This can be a s**t sandwich. I do not understand how else to say that we’re being pressured into this place.” 

The struggle may immediate a problem to Johnson’s speakership when the brand new Congress convenes on Jan. 3. Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, mentioned Wednesday that he will not help Johnson within the speaker’s election.

“I am not voting for him,” Massie mentioned. “This solidifies it.” 

Massie mentioned he is spoken with different members who’ve the same stance. 

Johnson has run right into a buzzsaw of opposition exterior the Home as properly. Elon Musk, the co-head of Trump’s advisory Division of Authorities Effectivity, mentioned in a publish on X that any lawmaker “who votes for this outrageous spending invoice deserves to be voted out in 2 years.” Musk posted dozens of occasions all through the day calling for lawmakers to oppose the invoice, which he known as “prison.”

The speaker told Fox News earlier within the day that he had mentioned the state of affairs with Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the opposite DOGE co-head, on Tuesday night. Johnson mentioned he emphasised to them that passing a seamless decision now can be “clearing the decks” and permit the incoming GOP majorities to “put our fingerprints on the spending” in March. Each Musk and Ramaswamy got here out strongly towards the invoice anyway.

For a lot of the day, Trump had not but indicated how he thinks lawmakers ought to vote, leaving Republicans in Congress to struggle amongst themselves.

Whereas Johnson mentioned he and GOP leaders had hoped to maneuver ahead with the laws beneath the common course of, together with bringing the invoice by way of the Home Guidelines Committee, pushback from committee members on the occasion’s proper flank threatened to lengthen the trail to passage. The laws is anticipated to as a substitute be introduced up beneath suspension of the foundations, that means a two-thirds majority can be required for passage.

The stopgap measure will lapse about two months into Trump’s second time period, establishing one other finances struggle as Republicans attempt to go Trump’s high priorities throughout his first 100 days. Although they’re going to have management of each chambers of Congress, Home Republicans can be working with a thinner majority till vacant seats held by members becoming a member of the Trump administration are stuffed. 

contributed to this report.