Speaker Johnson blames Democrats for killing second government funding plan

House Speaker Mike Johnson blamed Democrats for killing his back-up plan to avert a government shutdown, arguing that the new legislation was materially the same as the original, bipartisan plan.

Mr. Johnson, Louisiana Republican, attempted to push a second short-term funding patch Thursday night, hours after unveiling the legislation, but it was foiled by nearly every House Democrat and more than 30 House Republicans.

He told reporters shortly after the vote that it was “very disappointing” that all but a pair of Democrats “voted against aid to farmers and ranchers, against disaster relief, against all these bipartisan measures that had already been negotiated and decided upon.”

“What changed? It is, I think, really irresponsible for us to risk a shutdown over these issues on things that they have already agreed upon,” Mr. Johnson said. “We will regroup, we will come up with another solution, so stay tuned.”

The latest version was vastly trimmed down from his original, 1,500-page bill that was the product of negotiations among Democratic leaders in Congress and Mr. Johnson.

That bill received heavy flak from Republicans, partially fueled by tech-billionaire Elon Musk, and was ultimately killed by President-elect Donald Trump, who requested that Mr. Johnson slim the bill down and include an increase, or outright termination, of the federal debt-ceiling.

The latest offering still includes billions in disaster aid and economic assistance for farmers, but also added on a two-year suspension of the debt ceiling, which earned ire from fiscal conservatives who wanted offsets to pay for the change.

Democrats had previously supported raising, or even eliminating, the debt ceiling, and had said they would like to tackle that after averting a shutdown.

Mr. Johnson reminded them of that Thursday evening.

“I want you all to remember that it was just last spring that the same Democrats berated Republicans and said that it was irresponsible to hold the debt limit, the debt ceiling, hostage,” he said.