According to two Republicans involved with the conversations, Speaker Mike Johnson and Donald Trump’s team are considering a new government spending stopgap package that includes disaster help, delaying a debt ceiling debate for two years and extending the farm bill for one year.
The closed-door discussions between the speaker and Trump’s team, which includes incoming Vice President JD Vance, are still ongoing, and the plans may change, according to the two lawmakers. Other options are also being discussed. It’s unclear whether Democrats will embrace this approach.
Trump has issued an 11th-hour public demand that any stopgap agreement address the debt ceiling. Trump’s team is requesting at least a pledge to raise the debt limit before January 20. Some senators continue to question if extending the debt ceiling is conceivable before the shutdown deadline on Friday.
“I don’t see Chuck Schumer doing that, nor Joe Biden signing that into law,” said Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-Ga.).
The extent of disaster help and whether it is fully paid for is still unknown. Rural Republicans have threatened to oppose any stopgap that does not include the funds, so the deal is expected to include some more economic relief for farmers.
The majority of lawmakers who left Johnson’s office Thursday morning were unsure of their next steps. Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, the GOP whip, stated that “the situation is still fluid.”
“I would not claim there is no plan. “I am not the guy who is supposed to come up with a plan,” said Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma).