House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wants Speaker Mike Johnson to come through on the bipartisan government funding agreement that President-elect Donald Trump and many House Republicans have panned, but he won’t help the Louisiana Republican hold onto the speaker’s gavel if he does.
Mr. Johnson, following demands from Mr. Trump, has already abandoned plans to pass the massive deal struck this week that would extend government funding levels through March 14, fund billions in disaster relief and economic aid to farmers, give members of Congress a pay raise and carry a ton of other unrelated legislation.
While the speaker hasn’t offered a replacement plan, Mr. Jeffries made clear he’s not interested in striking a new deal.
“This reckless Republican-driven shutdown can be avoided if House Republicans will simply do what is right for the American people and stick with the bipartisan agreement that they themselves negotiated,” the New York Democrat said Thursday.
When asked multiple times if he was specifically closing the door on a slimmed-down bill, Mr. Jeffries wasn’t that definitive.
“The best path forward is the bipartisan agreement that we negotiated,” he said.
If Mr. Johnson proceeds with the bipartisan agreement, he would likely face a revolt from House Republicans who oppose the plan and it could cost him the speakership.
To be reelected speaker on the House floor when the new Congress convenes Jan. 3, he needs 218 votes. That will take near-perfect GOP unity, given the party’s slim majority, unless Democrats take the atypical step of voting for Mr. Johnson.
When asked if Democrats would bail Mr. Johnson out in the speaker vote if he provides an amicable resolution on government funding, Mr. Jeffries simply said, “No.”
Mr. Trump has called on Republicans to come up with a smaller bill containing the temporary government funding extension and disaster and farm aid without all the “giveaways” to Democrats. He also wants the measure to increase the debt ceiling or repeal the statutory borrowing limit altogether.
The current debt limit suspension expires Jan. 1, but the Treasury Department can use extraordinary measures for several more months to avoid defaulting on U.S. debt obligations. Experts estimate that those measures won’t run out until June.
“The debt limit issue and discussion [are] premature at best,” Mr. Jeffries said when asked if he’s open to dealing with the matter now.
Mr. Jeffries didn’t directly answer when asked if he’s spoken to Mr. Johnson since the speaker decided to pull the plug on the bipartisan deal.
“We’re going to continue to maintain an open line of communication to see if we can resolve this issue on terms that are favorable to the everyday Americans that House Democrats will continue to fight for every day, every week, every month and every year,” Mr. Jeffries said.
