Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson goes against Trump with deal averting possible federal government shutdown

Congress has signed off on a bipartisan spending deal that would avoid a government shutdown before the election.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the new temporary funding proposal that will last nearly three months on Sunday - and it sported some deviations from the original bill he put forward earlier this month.

Several go against Donald Trump's wishes, and some make concessions to Democrats.

Earlier this month, Trump declared that if Republicans 'don't get absolute assurances on [amendments involving] Election Security,' they should not hesitate to shut the government down. 

No such assurances were seen in the new bill, which will fund the government until December 20. It did not include any part of the SAVE Act, the Trump-backed proposal that demands Americans show proof of citizenship to register to vote.

'While this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances,' Johnson wrote in a letter to his Republican colleagues that explained the reasons for temporary bill.

'As history has taught and current polling affirms, shutting the government down less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice.'   

He added that the budget measure would be 'very narrow, bare-bones' and include 'only the extensions that are absolutely necessary', and that 'since we fell a bit short of the goal line, an alternative plan is now required.

'The feedback and ideas from everyone have been very helpful, and next week the House will take the initiative and pass a clean, three month [continuing resolution] to prevent the Senate from jamming us with a bill loaded with billions in new spending and unrelated provisions,' the Republican continued.  

'From now until election day, I will continue with my tireless efforts and singular focus of growing our majority for the 199th congress.'

'It is my great honor to serve with you all in these historic days,' the speaker who was seen palling around with Trump in Mar-a-Lago last weekend concluded.

'The future of our exceptional nation directly depends upon our success, and I am confident that together we will prevail.'

The last-minute compromise appeared to avoid a funding fight that would have stretched into spring 2025, with the Trump-backed proof-of-citizenship voting bill one of the casualties recorded in the process. 

Also absent was funding for the Virginia Class Submarine program included in earlier drafts, which sought to appropriate some $2billion to the Defense Department for the 'shipbuilding and conversion' for the program. 

Aides on Sunday insisted the funding fell out following a 'joint conversation' between appropriators, defense officials and the Biden administration.

The bill also failed to address what the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has framed as a potential $12 billion shortfall facing the agency for the next fiscal year - a stipulation demanded by Democrats.

Republicans have argued that more information is needed from the agency about the budget gap before Congress acts, while lawmakers from both sides of the aisle on Sunday said there is still more time to address the threat in coming months.

The decision comes after Congress passed legislation just last week to address a more immediate $3 billion shortfall for the VA, in response to warning that benefit payments for veterans were at risk of being disrupted as soon as next month.

The three-month stopgap also excludes $10 billion in additional funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) disaster relief fund asked for by Republicans.

The stipulation was previously included in House Republicans’ initial six-month draft, which was shortened to two-and-half months to appease Democrats and some Republicans less focused on defense.

The new version of the bill does allow for the use of some the fund’s resources for disaster response  

'We made a joint decision to address, because it’s going to be a two and a half month CR, the disaster side with no additional disaster money,' House GOP aides told The Hill on Sunday, 

they noted how there is still disaster money in the form 'of the disaster relief fund within FEMA being replenished as soon as the CR becomes law,' which they said would be 'more than adequate for the two and a half month period.'

'Further conversations' on the matter will continue in the coming months, the insiders said.

Perhaps the most noticeable omission, though, was Trump's SAVE Act - a bill that would crack down on noncitizen voting in the upcoming election by requiring proof of citizenship. 

But nearly all Democrats voted against it and a handful of GOP even did so as well, with many categorizing it as not conservative. 

Last week, Trump took to Truth Social to encourage Republicans to press on with the SAVE Act even if it meant a government shutdown, writing, 'If Republicans don't get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form.'

'Democrats are registering Illegal Voters by the TENS OF THOUSANDS, as we speak,' he continued, echoing his pervious claims that the 2020 election 'was stolen.

'They will be voting in the 2024 Presidential Election, and they shouldn't be allowed to.'

Additional money was also included to bolster the Secret Service, which has faced criticism following two failed assassination attempts on the former president.

The new bill is expected to reach the House floor by mid-week, after which it will move to the senate for consideration.