What happened
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) abruptly called off a vote on a six-month stopgap spending package yesterday amid Republican opposition. The lack of votes from his own caucus and most Democrats raised the odds of a partial government shutdown at the end of the month.
Who said what
"We're in the consensus-building business here in Congress," Johnson said to reporters. "I believe we'll get there." Some House Republicans "almost religiously refuse to vote for continuing resolutions of any kind," The Washington Post said, while others were aligned with Democrats and Senate Republicans in seeking a shorter time frame for the spending package. Democrats also opposed Johnson's inclusion of an unrelated measure requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, dooming the bill in the Senate, while Donald Trump urged Republicans to shut down the government unless the measure is included. Democrats point out it's already illegal for noncitizens to vote, The Associated Press said, but "Republicans believe there is value" in making "Democrats in competitive swing districts vote" on the provision.
Sticking with Johnson's current spending plan "would risk an embarrassing defeat just before November, with little upside," Politico said. But if the speaker had "returned from Congress' summer break and immediately moved to cut a deal with Democrats, he would have sparked even fiercer internal backlash" and doomed his chances of keeping the gavel if Republicans keep the House.
What next?
With "an election in just a few weeks," lawmakers are eager to "avoid flirting with a partial government shutdown" and "anxious to get home and campaign," the AP said, suggesting "the two sides will work out a spending deal" before Oct. 1. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters that "shutting down the government is always a bad idea, no matter what time of the year it is."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Violent videos of Charlie Kirk’s death are renewing debate over online censorshipTalking Points Social media ‘promises unfiltered access, but without guarantees of truth and without protection from harm’
-
What led to Poland invoking NATO’s Article 4 and where could it lead?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION After a Russian drone blitz, Warsaw’s rare move to invoke the important NATO statute has potentially moved Europe closer to continent-wide warfare
-
Africa could become the next frontier for space programsThe Explainer China and the US are both working on space applications for Africa
-
Nadine Menendez gets 4.5 years in bribery caseSpeed Read Menendez's husband was previously sentenced to 11 years in prison
-
Koreans detained in US Hyundai raid return homeSpeed Read Over 300 Koreans were detained at the plant last week
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro sentenced to 27 years for coup attemptSpeed Read Bolsonaro was convicted of attempting to stay in power following his 2022 election loss
-
Why does Donald Trump keep showing up at major sporting events?Today's Big Question Trump has appeared at the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 and other events
-
Former top FBI agents sue, claiming Trump purgeSpeed Read The agents alleged they were targeted by a “campaign of retribution”
-
Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk shot dead at 31Speed Read Kirk was holding a debate session at Utah Valley University
-
Judge lets Cook stay at Fed while appealing ousterSpeed Read Trump had attempted to fire Cook over allegations of mortgage fraud
-
Can Trump put his tariffs on stronger legal footing?Today's Big Question Appeals court says 'emergency' tariffs are improper
