House GOP eyes plan B stopgap with separate 2-part debt limit commitment

House Republicans are eyeing an alternative government funding stopgap that excludes a debt ceiling increase, and are instead working on a commitment to raise the borrowing limit twice next year in a bid to appease President-elect Trump, two sources told The Hill.

The new continuing resolution — which is still being hashed out and could change — would be similar to the spending plan Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) rolled out earlier this week, minus a handful of policy provisions, including language that would provide lawmakers with a pay raise, the sources said.

Instead of including the debt ceiling increase in the stopgap — which would be difficult to approve amid Democratic opposition — House Republicans are working on a commitment to raise the borrowing limit twice next year through reconciliation, once at the beginning of the calendar and again later on.

“They want a commitment from the Republicans that we can move during reconciliation and support a debt ceiling increase so that President Trump can function and do what he needs to do,” one of the sources said.

The sources said they expect the stopgap to still run through March 14, the same as Johnson’s initial package. Both sources, however, cautioned that conversations are still ongoing.

As part of those conversations, conservative Republicans are asking for spending cuts that would offset the debt limit increases, one of the sources said.

Some of Trump’s government affairs staffers are in the meeting, the source said. James Braid, Trump’s incoming director of legislative affairs, has been going in and out of Johnson’s office.

Johnson's office declined to comment.

Trump threw a curveball into the government funding talks Wednesday when he called for a debt limit increase as part of a stopgap in order to avoid it becoming a leverage point for Democrats after he takes office, calling it a “nasty TRAP." But dealing with a debt limit increase in reconciliation, which bypasses the Senate filibuster and the requirement to get approval from Democrats, could get around that political hurdle.

News of the plan B came as an ideologically diverse group of House Republicans huddled in Johnson’s office amid the government funding negotiations, with the Friday-at-midnight shutdown deadline inching closer.

It remains unclear whether Trump would support the new plan; he has been adamant about dealing with the borrowing ceiling now, going as far as to call for abolishing the borrowing limit entirely.

Getting rid of the debt ceiling is the “smartest thing it [Congress] could do. I would support that entirely,” Trump told NBC News on Thursday.

Another looming question is whether Democrats would be on board with a new, more narrowly tailored continuing resolution. Democrats suggested they would only support the initial package immediately after Trump torpedoed it, but House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) left the door open to backing a smaller measure.

Asked Thursday whether Democrats could support a stopgap that includes only government funding, aid for farmers and help for victims of natural disasters, Jeffries did not offer a definitive rejection.

“House Democrats are going to continue to fight for families, farmers and the future of working-class Americans,” Jeffries told reporters in the Capitol. “And in order to do that, the best path forward is the bipartisan agreement that we negotiated.”

Pressed if that means Democrats could support an alternative version of the CR, Jeffries again declined to close the door on that option.

“We are prepared to move forward with the bipartisan agreement that we thought was negotiated in good faith with House Republicans — along with Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans — that meets the needs of the American people at this moment in time,” he said.

“We are fighting for everyday Americans — not for millionaires and billionaires,” he continued. “We are fighting for everyday Americans who will be hurt by a reckless Republican shutdown.”

Topics

House rejects Johnson's plan B to prevent shutdown

The House on Thursday torpedoed Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) plan B to avert a government shutdown and suspend the debt limit, dealing a blow to the GOP leader and catapulting the conference back ...
The Hill - 8h
GOP strikes a new spending deal that includes disaster aid and raising the debt limit

Politico - 13h
Johnson and Trump team floating stopgap plan with disaster aid, debt limit, farm bill

Politico - 19h
Dems say 'hell no' to GOP plan B on government funding, debt ceiling

House Democrats are rallying in overwhelming opposition to the Republicans' second stab at a government funding bill, vowing to sink it on the House floor and force GOP leaders back to the table to ...
The Hill - 9h
Shutdown odds rapidly rise as House seeks plan B

The odds of a shutdown were rapidly growing on Thursday after President-elect Trump upended the talks by urging GOP lawmakers to shutter the government unless Democrats agree to a clean stopgap ...
The Hill - 12h
Musk says House GOP shouldn't pass stopgap funding deal

Tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk came out against a stopgap deal as he pushes for the government to reduce spending. The bipartisan legislation was released Tuesday night in a last-minute ...
The Hill - 1d
Biden eyes relaxed limits for pesticide

{beacon} Energy & Environment Energy & Environment The Big Story Advocates push back on EPA pesticide move The Biden administration is proposing to raise a key threshold determining how much of ...
The Hill - Dec. 6
On Trump tax cuts, energy and immigration plans, clash emerges between House, Senate GOP leaders

Jason Smith, Chair of House Ways and Means, tells CNBC that his voting majority will be extremely slim for passing President-elect Trump's tax cut promises.
CNBC - Dec. 5
MLB rumors: Yankees eye ace, Plan B if they lose Juan Soto, Phillies talk trade option for Alec Bohm

Here are your hot stove rumors for Wednesday, Dec. 4
CBS Sports - Dec. 4