Johnson considers plan B amid Trump World opposition to spending deal

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is looking at a plan B to fund the government ahead of Friday’s shutdown deadline as Republicans inside and outside the Capitol, including President-elect Trump and his allies, slam his spending package.

The back-up option Johnson is examining is a “clean” continuing resolution, two sources familiar with the matter told The Hill. That would entail dropping the additional provisions that were included in the initial 1,500-page spending package negotiated by congressional leaders, including disaster aid and economic assistance for farmers.

Late in the afternoon, Trump and Vice President-elect Vance waded into the fray, slamming the bipartisan bill negotiated by Johnson and calling for a "streamlined" spending stopgap combined with an increase in the debt ceiling.

"Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch. If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration?" the two said in a statement. "Let’s have this debate now. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want."

They added, "Republicans want to support our farmers, pay for disaster relief, and set our country up for success in 2025. The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS combined with an increase in the debt ceiling. Anything else is a betrayal of our country."

The statement didn't make clear what Trump and Vance wanted to do with disaster aid and assistance for farmers that had been in the proposed package.

The Speaker’s office declined to comment on a potential plan B when reached by The Hill. Politico first reported on Johnson considering a plan B.

Musk, who has spent considerable time with Trump since his election, wrote on X that any lawmaker “who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!”

It remains unclear if Johnson will ultimately pull his spending package and put the “clean” continuing resolution on the floor. The Speaker has not yet scheduled a vote on the stopgap.

Switching would mark a win for hardline House conservatives, who railed against the stopgap for its sprawling nature. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), for example, told reporters on Wednesday “it’s not a CR, which is a continuation of the budget, it’s turning into an omnibus.”

If Johnson does pull the negotiated spending package, however, an alternative is not guaranteed to clear the lower chamber.

Democrats are balking at the alternative plan because they secured a number of victories in the initial package, including full federal funding for the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

"House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government. And hurt the working class Americans they claim to support. You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a statement.

“Given the negotiations that have taken place, I don't think that that would be agreeable to a good number of the Democratic Caucus — perhaps the majority," Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.) predicted.

Garcia pointed specifically to the emergency disaster aid and several other provisions, including nutrition and health measures, he described as "essential" for securing Democratic support.

"So I think it would become hugely problematic if we depart" from the negotiated package, he said.

The negotiated spending package would fund the government at current levels through March 14, extend the farm bill for one year and appropriate roughly $100 billion in disaster relief and $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers, among other authorizations.

Mike Lillis contributed. Updated at 4:52 p.m.

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