WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson is now searching for a Plan C after 38 of his fellow Republicans joined with Democrats to reject his latest proposal to fund the government ahead of Friday night’s shutdown deadline.
Democrats had pledged to oppose the measure, saying it fell far short of the bipartisan deal they negotiated with Johnson earlier in the week. Republicans abandoned that proposal after a backlash stoked by billionaire Elon Musk and later egged on by President-elect Donald Trump.
The Plan B that Johnson unveiled Thursday afternoon included three months of government funding, disaster aid and a two-year suspension of the debt limit that Trump had requested. But it left off many other provisions, such as new health care spending and regulation of prescription benefits managers, language to help boost U.S. competitiveness with China and a cost-of-living pay raise for members of Congress.
The vote was called roughly two hours after that Plan B was unveiled, and Democrats said they weren’t having it.
“It’s awful,” U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, said before the vote. “The stopgap measure that he’s come back with, which violates the agreement that was hard-fought because of ‘President’ Elon Musk giving an order, we just can’t go along with that.”
Johnson scheduled Thursday night’s vote under House rules that allow bills to be fast-tracked but also require two-thirds support for passage. The bill didn’t even get to a majority, with 235 voting against the measure and only 174 in favor. One member voted present.
Two Georgia Republicans, Reps. Andrew Clyde of Athens and Rich McCormick of Suwanee, joined every Democrat in the state’s delegation in voting against the bill.
Johnson did not immediately announce any next steps.
“We will regroup, and we will come up with another solution,” he told reporters. “So stay tuned.”
Trump voiced his support for the bill that was put on the floor Thursday night, labeling the plan a “success” in a post on Truth Social.
“Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have come to a very good Deal for the American People,” he wrote. “The newly agreed to American Relief Act of 2024 will keep the Government open, fund our Great Farmers and others, and provide relief for those severely impacted by the devastating hurricanes.”
But that was not enough to stop a flow of opposition from Republicans who have long opposed raising the debt to allow for increased government spending. Other conservatives who have voted against debt-limit increases in the past did support the bill, including U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson.
He said Johnson’s plan was different from the debt-limit increase he opposed in May because the political landscape is changing with Trump coming into office and Republicans taking control of the Senate.
“When the guy that’s the coach and when the guy that’s running this thing — Donald Trump — says, ‘Hey, if y’all will push that out of the way, that’ll be a big help,’ why do we not trust him all of a sudden?” Collins said after the vote.
The new proposal, like the old one, would extend government funding through March 14 and include $100 billion in disaster relief, an additional $12 billion for farmers facing economic distress and an agreement that the federal government would shoulder the costs of rebuilding Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed in March after it was struck by a container ship.
It did not include language from the previous proposal that intended to help the U.S. compete against China, and it omitted a provision that would have led the way for a new football stadium in Washington, which had been the source of misinformation spread by Musk.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries reportedly told members he was a “hell no” on the bill during a closed-door meeting Thursday before the vote. U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, emerged saying she was “following our leadership” on the legislation and would also oppose the bill if it were brought to a vote.
U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson said he would vote against the bill because it represented a worse deal for the American people than what was initially negotiated and because Democrats had no input.
“The previous bill that we agreed to helps America’s families, helps farmers, helps veterans, helps men and women who are serving in the military, takes care of the people who have been affected by the natural disasters — the flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts — all of that was covered,” the Lithonia Democrat said. “Much has been taken out of what was agreed to, and then you spring this new bill on us at the last minute with short notice and expect us to fall in line and vote for it. I can’t.”
Here’s how Georgia’s U.S. House delegation voted on the American Relief Act government funding legislation, H.R. 10515
“Yes”
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, R-Augusta
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-St. Simons Island
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, R-Jackson
U.S. Rep. Drew Ferguson, R-The Rock
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome
U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville
U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton
“No”
U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany
U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens
U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta
U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Suwanee
U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Atlanta
U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta
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