House Rules Committee passes Republican proposal to avert shutdown

The House Rules Committee gave the green light late Monday for the GOP bill to avoid a government shutdown to be voted on by the full House on Tuesday. The vote by lawmakers ended with nine votes in favor and three against, passing the conservative initiative to take a step to avoid the shutdown that would occur on Friday if the two chambers of Congress do not come to an agreement.

Committee Chairwoman Virgina Foxx (R-N.C.), opened the session with a clear message: "This legislation helps avoid the government shutting down and allows us to continue our work in service to the American people. The House must act to avoid a needless shutdown that serves no purpose – by doing so, this body can put its focus and attention on the next appropriations process."

Speaker Mike Johnson's proposal would grant funding for the government until the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30. The continuing resolution picks up an increase in funding for national defense, while imposing cuts elsewhere.

An uncertain vote despite President Trump's involvement

However, despite President Trump's personal involvement in pushing congressional Republicans to move the bill forward, it is not guaranteed to pass. To begin with, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), has already said that his party will vote "no," which guarantees that a large number of Democratic legislators will follow his lead. Added to this is pushback from several Republican representatives.

If Democrats all vote on party lines, Johnson could only afford one lost vote among his ranks. One potential dissenter is becoming the main headache of the speaker so far this term: Thomas Massie. Along with him, Republicans Tim Burchett and Rich McCormick are also expressing doubt. In addition, Cory Mills, Eli Crane, Brian Fitzpatrick and Tony Gonzales are also unclear about their final vote.

Respite for Johnson: Freedom Caucus supports the proposal

The good news for Johnson is that the Freedom Caucus released an official statement Monday night supporting the proposal: "The House Freedom Caucus supports the FY 2025 Continuing Resolution. Contrary to Congress' longtime abuse of this legislative tool, this CR is a paradigm shift."

The statement is an important step forward, as many of the members of this group repeatedly voted against past continuing resolutions during Biden's tenure, forcing Johnson to throw his weight behind the Democrats in order to move them forward. This time, the tables have turned, something Johnson harshly criticized on twitter, accusing the Democratic Party of seeking a shutdown as a political weapon to stop Trump without taking into account the pain this situation causes.