Unlike typical stopgap resolutions, which fund federal agencies for a specific period of time, the measure announced by Johnson would fund some parts of the U.S. government through Jan. 19 and others through Feb. 2.
House Speaker Mike Johnson. Photo: Reuters
“This two-step resolution is a necessary bill that puts House Republicans in the best position to win,” Johnson said in a statement after announcing the plan to House Republicans on a conference call.
The House Republicans' temporary solution does not include additional funding like aid to Israel or Ukraine.
The House and Senate must agree on a budget that President Joe Biden can sign into law by Friday or risk a fourth partial shutdown of the U.S. government in a decade, cutting off paychecks for some 4 million federal workers and disrupting a range of activities from financial oversight to scientific research.
Mr Johnson unveiled his temporary solution a day after Moody's downgraded the nation's credit outlook from "stable" to "negative", citing political polarisation in the US Congress over spending as a danger to the nation's fiscal health.
The bill would extend funding for military construction, veterans benefits, transportation, housing, urban development, agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and energy and water programs through Jan. 19. Funding for all other federal activities expires Feb. 2.
But the plan quickly drew criticism from members of both parties, with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying in a statement that the proposal “would add to the chaos in the Republican Party.”
Democratic Senator Brian Schatz called Mr Johnson's measure "super complicated", adding that "all this nonsense is costing the people money".
A temporary measure would give lawmakers more time to pass comprehensive appropriations bills to fund the U.S. government through September 30 next year.
Quoc Thien (according to Reuters)
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