Speaker Mike Johnson insisted he would stick to the $1.6 trillion spending deal he reached with Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer a week before the next government shutdown, even after heated arguments with Republican hardliners , who threaten to fire him.
“Our ultimate agreement remains in place,” Johnson told reporters after a vote on Friday. “We are planning the next steps and working on a robust funding allocation process.”
Johnson drew the ire of conservatives when he negotiated a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that would fund the government to the tune of $1.6 trillion in the 2024 fiscal year.
Hard-line Freedom Caucus Republicans criticized the agreement because they said it spent too much and failed to provide for border security.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., a Freedom Caucus member who got into a heated conversation with Johnson on the House floor, suggested he was overwhelmed by Schumer with the deal.
“My only regret for the speaker is that he actually fell into the trap of meeting a deadline and playing this game on Chuck Schumer's terms,” he told reporters, adding that his “confidence in the speaker is waning.”
Speaker Mike Johnson insisted he would stick to the agreement he reached with Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer, even after heated arguments with GOP hardliners who are threatening to fire him
Congress now has just a week to pass a spending deal before a partial government shutdown on January 19.
And while some have raised the idea of firing Johnson with a resignation, the new speaker met with hardliners on Thursday.
Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., chairman of the Freedom Caucus, said that “there was 100 percent agreement in the room with everyone who met with the speaker that the deal is terrible for the country.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said filing a motion to resign “could be something” if Johnson continues cutting deals with Democrats or giving more funding to Ukraine.
“If these deals go through, then that’s definitely on the table.”
Now some have focused their fight on tying border security to the must-pass spending deal — and aren't afraid to shut down the government to do it.
Imposing border regulations would increase the risk of cornering the government
Hard-line Freedom Caucus Republicans criticized the agreement because they said it spent too much and failed to provide for border security
Meanwhile, moderate Republicans are frustrated with their right-wing colleagues and are calling on Johnson to stick to the deal he made.
“The regular order class, those who don't like drama and dumpster fires, we're worried that there might be more mobs,” said one Republican member.
“Their temperatures are rising quite high,” the member added. “They're hoping Speaker Johnson has angered the applecart too much.” The reality is that when you make a deal, you make a deal. It’s going to be pretty difficult to get out of there now.”
“A deal is a deal and it’s already been done and we have to stick with it,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. told . “It’s already been announced.”
“It seems like when you make a deal, you make a deal,” added Rep. Lori Chavez-Deremer, R-Wash.
The situation was reminiscent of the spending saga under Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who eventually gave up working with Republican hardliners, tabled a negotiated continuing resolution (CR), and lost his job for it.
“This is like a movie repeating itself,” said Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Arizona. “The frustrating thing is that whatever the deal is, they will probably end up voting against it anyway.”
Members are also increasingly frustrated by the motion to withdraw threats.
“I don't scream when I'm in the operating room and don't have the right equipment, I make it work,” said Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., a former surgeon.
Earlier this week, Johnson unveiled a $1.6 trillion spending plan to fund the government in fiscal year 2024, the same amount agreed to in the debt limit agreement between President Biden and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
The deal includes $886.3 billion for defense spending and $772.7 billion for non-defense programs.
The deal actually costs $1.66 trillion, but a “side deal” with offsets and fiscal austerity cuts that number by $69 trillion on the non-defense side to $1.59 trillion. It will also cut $20 billion from Biden's Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
“The main agreement includes hard-fought concessions to, as you know, cut billions more from the IRS gift and COVID-era slush funds,” Johnson said. “It replaces accounting gimmicks from the previous FRA.” [Fiscal Responsibility Act] Agreement. And it brings Congress much closer to regular order, which is our great commitment here.”