US: Speaker Johnson Likely To Hold Vote On Govt Funding CR Week Of December 16

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters yesterday that he intends to wrap negotiations on short-term a government funding package this weekend, teeing up a vote on the House floor around December 16, after which it will be passed to the Senate. A stop-gap appropriations bill must be passed by midnight on December 20 to avoid a partial government shutdown. 

• As has been the case in all recent funding cycles, multiple members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus have publicly stated they will vote against any short-term funding measure, citing concerns with disaster relief funding. Due to the conservative opposition, Johnson will require Democrat support to pass the CR.  
• On the other major legislative item outstanding during the lame-duck, House GOP leadership plans to put the must-pass annual Pentagon funding bill – the National Defense Authorisation Act – on the floor next week. A final text of the bill could be released as soon as today but negotiations have been delayed by a dispute over topline spending - The Senate has been seeking $25 billion more than the House, according to Punchbowl News. 
• Again, the House Freedom Caucus is likely to reject the bill, meaning Johnson will be forced to pass the legislation under suspension of rules, which requires a bipartisan two-thirds majority. This bill always passes, so there shouldn’t be any issues for Johnson, even if he loses support from conservatives.