Speaker Johnson Floats Novel Idea for Avoiding Government Shutdown

With time running out on the 45-day stop-gap funding bill, Speaker Johnson is searching for a way to keep the government funded without losing his job.

Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) (2nd L) speaks as (L-R) House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), House Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) listen during a news briefing at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Nov. 2, 2023. Alex Wong/Getty Images

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) floated the idea of a “laddered” continuing resolution (CR), a novel idea for avoiding a potential government shutdown on Nov. 17, when the 45-day stop-gap funding law expires.

“Potentially, you would do a CR that extends individual pieces of the appropriations process, individual bills,” Mr. Johnson said at a Nov. 2 press conference.