Congress

Republicans Think They Have a Winning Gambit to Avoid a Shutdown

Mike Johnson is turning to an old strategy to get a slimmed-down continuing resolution over to the Senate ahead of a shutdown deadline just hours away.

Mike Johnson

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson holds a news conference at the Capitol. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

By Reese Gorman and Em Luetkemeyer

December 20, 2024 12:03 PM

To avert a government shutdown, Speaker Mike Johnson appears to be turning to a classic solution: letting the House work its will.

At least, sort of.

After Johnson pulled a continuing resolution that he negotiated with Democrats from consideration and then tried — and failed — to pass a CR with essentially just Republican votes on Thursday night, the speaker presented a plan to the GOP conference where he would put different aspects of the bill on the floor and see what passes.