Republicans are not happy with Johnson’s actions.
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposal for a short-term government funding bill, designed to delay the fiscal year 2025 budget fight until early next year, is facing significant resistance within the House Republican ranks. While some GOP members support this strategy, others see it as a threat to the party’s ability to push forward its agenda under a potential second Trump administration.
Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., a former Interior Secretary under President Trump, expressed strong concerns over the plan. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Zinke warned that a short-term funding measure would distract from the key goal of Trump’s first 100 days in office—advancing his bold conservative agenda. Zinke emphasized that those crucial first days need to be focused on enacting new policies, not dealing with leftover issues from the last Congress. “If we’re bogged down in spending fights from the prior year, it takes away from the momentum we need,” he said.
Despite these concerns, Speaker Johnson argued that a short-term funding measure is necessary to buy time for the GOP, especially with the Dec. 20 deadline fast approaching. Johnson suggested that such a move would shift the spending debate into a time when Republicans will hold both the White House and Congress, allowing them to exert more influence over the process.
However, some hardline conservatives, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., remain firmly opposed to any Continuing Resolution (CR). Greene has been vocal about her opposition to CRs, stating that she is unwilling to support another stopgap funding measure, which she believes merely extends the status quo without addressing fiscal concerns.
Other Republicans, such as Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, have also expressed frustration with Congress’s failure to pass a new spending bill in a timely manner. Some are advocating for a complete end-of-year funding package that would finalize the appropriations process and clear the deck for President Trump to start his second term unfettered by budgetary distractions.
As tensions rise, the GOP faces a tough decision: unite behind a short-term funding solution or risk a government shutdown—something Republicans fear could damage their standing heading into the 2024 election cycle. The party is at a crossroads, with some lawmakers warning that pushing the issue into next year could hinder the conservative agenda they’ve worked so hard to champion.