The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly averted a potentially crippling government shutdown by passing a $1.2 trillion funding package on Friday. However, the 286-134 vote exposed deepening rifts within the Republican majority, leading to a fresh effort to oust the Speaker.
With more Democrats (185) than Republicans (101) backing the must-pass measure, hardline conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene seized the moment to introduce a motion to remove GOP Speaker Mike Johnson from his leadership post. Greene stopped short of forcing an immediate vote, deeming it “more of a warning than a pink slip” for now.
Johnson himself had ascended to the Speakership just last October after infighting among Republicans led to the ouster of his predecessor Kevin McCarthy. The repeated power struggles and brinkmanship over government funding have raised concerns from rating agencies about potential harm to America’s creditworthiness.
The fractious intraparty dynamics surrounding the latest spending package underscore the challenges Johnson faces in trying to corral the GOP’s right flank, which had demanded deeper cuts to federal spending for the current fiscal year. While some reductions were achieved, conservatives were ultimately disappointed with the compromise bill’s contents.
“Let’s finish the job today. Let’s avoid even a weekend shutdown,” urged Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as the legislation now heads to the Democratic-controlled upper chamber facing a midnight deadline.
Failure to pass the omnibus package would have resulted in partial shutdowns impacting operations at agencies like the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Treasury, and State. Key functions like border security, tax processing, embassy operations, and support for U.S. astronauts could have been disrupted.
The last time such a government shutdown occurred was during Donald Trump’s presidency from December 2018 to January 2019 amid a stalemate over the former president’s insistence on funding for a border wall.
While the current spending fight appears resolved for now, bigger battles loom on the horizon for Speaker Johnson and House Republicans. An upcoming $95 billion military and economic aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan is already facing resistance from some GOP lawmakers weary of bankrolling the Ukrainian war effort against Russia’s invasion.
With the 2024 elections nearing and conservatives smarting from their failure to secure transformative spending cuts, Johnson will need to walk a tightrope in holding together his narrow House majority. Greene’s threat serves as the latest warning that an outright revolt could loom if the Speaker is perceived as straying too far from the GOP’s most fiscally hawkish flank.
