Staff Reports
In a thrilling saga of political deadlines and legislative battles, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is gearing up for the ultimate showdown when the House returns from holiday break on January 9th. The pressure is on for Johnson as he wrangles with critical legislation that must be passed in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it time frame.
.@SpeakerJohnson's laundry list of challenges for 2024 https://t.co/jwe8OFqcGK https://t.co/jwe8OFqcGK
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 29, 2023
Johnson has only managed to push through two substantial pieces of legislation since donning the Speaker hat, and now he’s staring down the barrel of a loaded gun with a laundry list of essential bills that need his magic touch. It’s a political rollercoaster and everyone’s holding on for dear life.
First up on the docket is government funding. Congress already passed a stop-gap measure back in November, splitting the appropriations bills’ expiration dates into two parts. But, brace yourselves, four of the bills are set to expire on January 19th, and the remaining eight will bid adieu on February 2nd. It’s a race against the clock, and Johnson better have some sneaky tricks up his sleeve because time is not on his side.
And what’s the plan to avoid a government shutdown, you ask? Well, that’s anyone’s guess. Some members and aides believe a minibus or a colossal omnibus bill might swoop in to save the day, but Johnson has dropped some ominous hints about a year-long stop-gap measure with a 1% budget cut across the board.
As if that’s not enough to make Johnson break a sweat, he’s also got to grapple with the FISA Section 702 Reauthorization. The House must decide between two bill options and get the job done by April 19, 2024. This thingamajig relates to foreign surveillance, and let’s just say it’s been a bit wobbly in recent years. With bipartisan calls for reforms and some eye-popping FISA court violations, Johnson’s got his work cut out for him on this front.
He’s been tipping the apple cart, upsetting the hard-line conservatives left and right with his decisions. The poor guy has had to pull numerous bills and watch his rules fail, not exactly the picture of a strong and stable leader. And to add insult to injury, he’s had to pass crucial legislation under suspension of rules just to keep the conservative rebels at bay.
