Speaker Johnson says he won’t end up like McCarthy, defends his stopgap measure

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he isn’t worried about facing the same fate as Rep. Kevin McCarthy if his two-step stopgap measure passes and stops the government from shutting down this week.

“We’re doing something very different here by breaking it up and doing the ladder CR; we have a different process,” Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, said Tuesday on Fox. “It wasn’t Kevin’s fault, in my estimation. What happened before, circumstances were different than they are right now. By doing this, we actually allow ourselves to do our job and fight for our conservative principles.”

Mr. Johnson’s plan uses a two-step laddered continuing resolution to fund different portions of the government until Jan. 19 and Feb. 2. 

A CR was what cost Mr. McCarthy, California Republican, the speakership last month.

“I hate CR’s,” Mr. Johnson said. “We shouldn’t do this, and we’re not going to do it again next year. We’re going to get back to the actual lawful appropriations process that the American people deserve. But this is a necessary step to bridge that gap to get us there and prevent a government shutdown.”

Mr. Johnson admitted that he thinks the appropriations process “has not worked the way it’s supposed to for decades,” and his CR plan will let Congress avoid an omnibus spending bill.

“So, breaking it up, doing part of the bills in early January, part by Feb. 2, allows Congress to do its job, to do it out in the open and it allows us to fight for conservative principles and fiscal sanity,” he added.

The deadline for the shutdown is Friday, and the speaker needs to get Republicans and Democrats in both chambers on his side. House Republicans are leaning against it because they want drastic spending cuts and border security funds. Democrats are bothered they’re not seeing Ukraine funding.

On Tuesday, the House Freedom Caucus stood against the stopgap measure. They join eight other conservative lawmakers who have already said they will vote against it.

Sen. Chris Murphy, Connecticut Democrat, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that the speaker’s measure “looks gimmicky” but that he’s “open to what the House is talking about.”

Rep. Dean Phillips, Minnesota Democrat, said he would vote in favor of the measure, telling NBC News Monday, “It’s not perfect, but it’s a whole lot better than a shutdown.” 

Mr. Johnson plans to bring the bill for a vote on the House floor Tuesday afternoon under a House procedural rule that requires at least two-thirds of lawmakers voting for the measure in order for it to pass.

— Alex Miller contributed to this report.