Johnson Urges Republicans to Unite Ahead of Shutdown Deadline, Vows to Reach Deal with Democrats
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House Speaker Mike Johnson told Republicans their disunity has ceded leverage to Democrats ahead of the shutdown deadline.
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Johnson plans to spend the weekend trying to reach a funding agreement with Democrats on 4 spending bills set to expire March 1.
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Johnson acknowledged his deal-making power is undermined by House Republicans who routinely block GOP measures from being debated.
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Johnson feels optimistic about meeting the deadline for the first 4 bills, but said a partial shutdown is possible.
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Some conservatives are calling on Johnson to insist on a stopgap bill through fiscal year-end, which would trigger cuts to non-defense programs.