Government Shutdown 2023 Is Avoided

Hip Hip Hooray! Government Shutdown 2023 has been avoided!

Politics :
On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson was able to do what his predecessor (Kevin McCarthy) was unable to do: he successfully convinced the GOP-led US House of Representatives to pass a funding package to prevent Government Shutdown 2023. The only problem for Johnson is that he had to cross the aisle and obtain the support of Democrats in order to get a deal done.

According to The Associated Press, Speaker Johnson made the bold and unexpected decision to leave his hard-right conservative Republicans behind in order to secure a bipartisan deal to keep the US government open. The final vote tally was 336-95 with 93 Republicans voting no.

“Making sure that government stays in operation is a matter of conscience for all of us. We owe that to the American people,” the speaker said Tuesday during a news conference on Capitol Hill.

Moments before the Tuesday evening vote, House Democratic leaders issued a joint statement to announce that the package met all their requirements and their intent to support it.

The Johnson bill is made up of a two-part process that temporarily funds some federal agencies through January 19th and others through February 2, 2024. Interestingly, it did not include any of the deep cuts MAGA/conservatives demanded all year. However, it also didn’t include President Biden’s request for nearly $105 billion for Ukraine, Israel, border security, and more.

“We’re not surrendering,” Johnson told a closed-door meeting of House Republicans after announcing he could not support another stopgap. “But you have to choose fights you can win.”

Soon after the funding measure was passed and Government Shutdown 2023 was averted, Speaker Johnson issued a strangely-timed, full-throated endorsement of Donald Trump for president.

Could it be that Johnson was thinking ahead and attempting to avoid the wrath of MAGA Republicans for daring to make a deal with Democrats in order to get the business of Congress done?

“I think it’s a very big mistake,” GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Texas who’s also a member of the hard-right GOP lawmakers said Tuesday in opposition of the Johnson deal.

“It’s wrong,” GOP Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee said of Johnson’s decision to deal with Democrats.

However, at least 1 Republican lawmaker decided to go public with his support of Johnson’s bipartisan maneuver.

“Well, bipartisanship shouldn’t be controversial, especially when the reality states that we have a razor-thin majority in the House, we have a Democrat Senate, we have a Democrat president,” GOP Rep. John James of Michigan said. “Ultimately, if you say you care about the American people, well, paying our customs and Border Patrol agents is caring for the American people. Paying our military members and making sure our veterans maintain their healthcare and mental health services is caring about the American people.”

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries also praised the move toward bipartisanship and said he believes the GOP package met the Democratic demands to keep funding at current levels without steep reductions or divisive Republican policy priorities.

“Extreme MAGA Republicans have repeatedly demonstrated that they cannot govern without House Democrats,” Jeffries said on NPR. “That will be the case this week in the context of avoiding a government shutdown.”

Is it possible that Mike Johnson is a “different” kind of GOP House Speaker who’s not afraid to go up against the wacko wing of his Republican Party and realizes bipartisanship is the key to his success? Or, will the same hard-right congressional MAGA minions make Johnson pay the same price they forced upon ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy?

OK WASSUP! discusses Politics:
Government Shutdown 2023: a deal is done.