WASHINGTON — As a midnight Friday government shutdown looms, House Speaker Mike Johnson has introduced a new approach to temporarily sustain federal activities along with disaster relief. However, he has deferred addressing President-elect Donald Trump’s demand for an increase in the debt ceiling until the new year.
House Republicans convened in private discussions to assess their strategy after Trump insisted that any agreement must include a debt ceiling increase. He further stated in an early morning post that if this condition was not met, the shutdown could commence immediately.
“We will not have a government shutdown,” Johnson said after exiting the closed session at the Capitol. A vote is scheduled for Friday evening, but the results remain uncertain. He did not disclose specifics about the new proposal, but lawmakers indicated it would maintain government funding at existing levels through March and add $100 billion for disaster assistance and another $10 billion for agricultural support to farmers.
The proposal lacks Trump’s requirement for a debt ceiling increase, which GOP leaders have suggested will be part of future tax and border discussions in the upcoming year.
