Johnson Agrees to End Blockade of Spending Bills in Exchange for Vote on Bill to Prevent Shutdowns

Sen. Ron Johnson said he will end his blockade of Senate spending bills if granted a vote on a bill to prevent government shutdowns.
The bill is proposed by Sen. James Lankford and would keep government running even if funding deadlines are missed.
Johnson was previously calling for the Senate to consider funding bills individually rather than in a package.
Sen. Susan Collins said discussions with Johnson were "constructive" and they may have a "breakthrough."
Senate Majority Leader Schumer was noncommittal about allowing a vote on Lankford's bill.

thehill.com

Relevant topic timeline:

9/21/2023

Sen. Ron Johnson Proposes Bill to Prevent Future Government Shutdowns

Sen. Ron Johnson has offered to stand down on blocking government funding bills in return for a vote on legislation that would prevent future shutdowns by keeping the government funded at the previous year’s spending levels, a move that contrasts with House Republicans who are trying to use the possibility of a shutdown to force votes on conservative priorities.

9/22/2023

Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Government Shutdowns Faces Uphill Battle in Congress

Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin has suggested that he will support a bipartisan government funding bill only if another bipartisan bill, the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act, also gets a vote, which aims to prevent federal shutdowns by triggering a Continued Resolution that maintains federal spending at its current level.

9/27/2023

Senate Passes Bipartisan Bill to Avert Weekend Shutdown, Funds Government Through November

The Senate has passed a bipartisan bill to extend funding and prevent a government shutdown, although it may not be sufficient to avoid a shutdown entirely.

10/1/2023

Congress Averts Shutdown with Short-Term Spending Bill, but Long-Term Funding Uncertain

Congress passes a short-term spending bill to avert a government shutdown, which President Biden signed into law, funding the government through November 17.

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Posted 9/19/2023, 6:50:00 PM