House Speaker Mike Johnson announced a ‘plan C’ to avert a government shutdown, with a vote expected Friday afternoon.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) reportedly said a vote will “very likely” occur on Friday.

“The proposal comes after a failed attempt with Plan B, which combined government funding with disaster aid and a debt limit suspension, and was endorsed by Trump. Lawmakers are racing against the clock, with government funding set to expire at midnight,” Mario Nawfal wrote.

“While details of Plan C remain unclear, discussions suggest a short-term resolution might be on the table, but the challenge remains in securing enough votes to prevent a shutdown,” he added.

Per CBS News:

On Thursday, the GOP majority tried to fast-track a measure that would keep the government funded and raise the debt ceiling, a demand issued at the 11th hour by President-elect Donald Trump. But 38 Republicans voted against the measure, and only two Democrats supported it.

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Johnson presented his latest plan to his fellow Republicans at a conference meeting, according to lawmakers who spoke to reporters. One member said Republicans planned to resurrect the bill that failed on Thursday, minus the debt ceiling suspension. That legislation included three major parts: a clean short-term extension of government funding, billions of dollars in disaster relief and billions more in aid to farmers.

But the situation remained fluid as the afternoon unfolded and there was no immediate public reaction from Trump, who has pushed hard for a vote to abolish or suspend the debt ceiling before he takes office. Suspending or raising the debt ceiling would not happen under the plan that Johnson presented to members — instead, Republicans would commit to addressing the debt limit next year in a tax bill.

Government funding will technically lapse at midnight Friday night absent a funding extension. But most of the effects of a shutdown wouldn’t begin to be felt until Monday morning, potentially giving lawmakers some breathing room to craft an agreement past the deadline.

“If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration, not after January 20th, under ‘TRUMP.’ This is a Biden problem to solve, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will!” President Trump said Friday morning.

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“Yeah, yeah, we have a plan,” Johnson said, according to The Hill.

“We’re expecting votes this morning, so you all stay tuned. We’ve got a plan,” he added.

From The Hill:

He did not say what it entails. And lawmakers leaving meetings in Johnson’s office Friday morning indicated that there was not yet an agreement on a path forward.

“Anybody who’s telling you there’s an agreement is just a little bit ahead of themselves,” Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus, said as he left the Speaker’s office later Friday morning.

Lawmakers have little time to avoid a shutdown: Government funding runs out when the clock strikes midnight late Friday.

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Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) said on CNBC on shortly after Johnson’s comments Friday morning that he thinks Washington will probably avoid a shutdown since “we’re pushed up against Christmas here,” saying a “clean” funding extension is likely.

 

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