House GOP eyes plan C that cuts Trump debt ceiling demand

House Republicans are eyeing a new spending proposal that would tee up votes on three separate measures: to fund the government, appropriate disaster relief and allocate farm assistance, three sources told The Hill.

But in a shift from previous strategy — and in a break from President-elect Trump’s request — the new plan does not include a measure to increase the debt ceiling, the sources said, a move that could spark the ire of the incoming president, who demanded that such language be included.

Instead, Republicans are working toward an agreement to cut trillions of dollars in spending in exchange for an increase in the borrowing limit next year under reconciliation, the sources said. One of the sources said negotiators are exchanging numbers regarding the cuts and debt limit hike.

The latest development comes just hours before the midnight shutdown deadline.

“It’s just an agreement, an understanding, an acknowledgement that we will do this some way or somehow that helps Trump,” the source said.

The sources cautioned that the proposal is not set in stone because Republican leadership still has to present it to the entire GOP conference. The continuing resolution would run until March 14, the source said.

The House GOP conference is set to meet at 12:30 p.m. EDT — less than 12 hours before the shutdown deadline. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) a member of the Rules Committee, told reporters after emerging from Johnson’s office earlier on Friday that the plan is to move the new proposal through the panel, which, if successful, would mean a majority vote is needed to approve each of the measures. It's unclear, however, if that is the final plan.

The plan to split the main contours of the plan B bill into separate votes is nearly identical to what Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) pitched to GOP leaders Thursday night after the bill that included a two-year debt ceiling increase failed.

Elon Musk, who helped torpedo a bipartisan stopgap earlier this week, put his stamp of approval on the strategy on X: “Great idea.”

And it already appears to be earning the support of some hard-line conservatives who opposed Johnson’s plan on Thursday night: Norman told reporters after exiting the Speaker’s office that he is supportive of the new package.

The proposal marks the latest attempt by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to fund the government ahead of Friday’s midnight deadline. The Louisiana Republican has cycled through two proposals so far, the first of which never made it to a vote amid widespread GOP opposition, and the second of which overwhelmingly failed on the House floor.

Johnson’s plan C, however, could prompt anger from Trump because it does not include a vote on raising the debt ceiling. Earlier this week, the president-elect demanded that Republicans raise the borrowing limit as part of the government funding process, a position he has held firm in.

“Congress must get rid of, or extend out to, perhaps, 2029, the ridiculous Debt Ceiling. Without this, we should never make a deal. Remember, the pressure is on whoever is President,” Trump wrote on Truth Social early Friday morning.

Updated at 11:56 a.m. EST

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