US House Speaker proposes stopgap funding bill to avert government shutdown

In a bid to avoid a partial government shutdown, US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has proposed a three-month stopgap funding bill. The bill excludes an immigration-related voter registration measure requested by former President Donald Trump.
Additionally, the bill includes $231 million in new funding for the US Secret Service, after two assassination attempts on Donald Trump in recent months. This funding would support ongoing protective operations for the 2024 presidential campaign.
The Republican leader’s plan extends government funding through December 20, giving lawmakers more time to finalise a long-term solution.
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the measure on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Failure to approve the stopgap funding would furlough thousands of federal workers and halt government operations just weeks before the November 5 election. Johnson said shutting down the government so close to the election would be a “political malpractice.”
The new proposal aligns with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s call for a basic funding extension. Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries expressed optimism for a bipartisan deal, with Jeffries saying, “Congress is now on a bipartisan path to avoid a government shutdown that would hurt everyday Americans.”
The funding bill comes after the House rejected an earlier proposal from Johnson that included a voter-registration provision, which critics, including Democrats and democracy advocates, opposed as unnecessary.
Congress faces another major deadline in January 2024, when lawmakers must address the nation’s $35 trillion debt ceiling to avoid default.