The plan will help prevent government shutdowns ahead of the looming March 14th funding deadline.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said on March 2 that he prefers to pass an extension of government clean funding to prevent government shutdowns until September before addressing the inclusion of cuts recommended by Elon Musk’s Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the 2026 law.
Johnson’s plan may help reduce the chances of government shutting down ahead of the March 14th funding deadline. Republicans have previously sought Doge Cuts to be quickly incorporated into budget bills that would have been opposed by Democrats.
“To freeze funds at the current level, we’ll pass clean (continuous solutions) to ensure that the government remains open and begin to incorporate all these savings found through Doge’s efforts and these other sources of income,” Johnson said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“And in the next fiscal year, 2026, you’ll see a very different process and more efficient and effective spending for people.”
“We are working very hard with the House and Senate to pass a clean, temporary government funding bill (“CR”) until the end of September. let’s do it! ” he wrote.
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Continuing Resolutions (CRs) provide funding to governments without increasing or decreasing the budgets of government agencies and other government initiatives.
Johnson previously told reporters that CR was “the most reasonable thing to ensure that the government is not shut down.”
Rosa Delauro (D-Conn.), a ranking member of the House Budget Committee, is currently in major Democrat negotiations, minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.), told reporters on February 27.
He didn’t say whether Democrats would support CR.
“In terms of subsequent consideration of a year-long ongoing solution, it’s a conversation that will take place in the right moment with the entire House Democrats’ caucus,” Jeffries said.
It only takes a simple majority to pass a CR in the house, but it is not clear whether the resolution will pass the Senate 60-vote filibuster threshold.
The GOP is also considering implementing Trump’s agenda through a process known as reconciliation. This allows laws related to national debt to bypass spending, taxation, and filibuster requirements.
However, both the House and Senate must pass the same budgetary resolution to stimulate the settlement process. So far, each chamber has worked on its own resolution and passed. The Senate is currently considering the House version for passage.
Jackson Richman contributed to this report.
