Speaker Johnson Optimistic GOP Has Enough Votes to Pass Funding Bill

Trump has called on House Republicans to unite and vote in support of the resolution.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) speaks during a press conference as members of Congress have two weeks to reach a deal to avert a looming partial government shutdown, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 16, 2025. Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Fox News in a Sept. 18 interview that he believes the GOP has enough votes to pass a continuing resolution (CR) that will keep the government funded through Nov. 21.

The House is set to vote Sept. 19 on the CR that would extend government funding at current funding levels past the Sept. 30 fiscal year deadline. The White House backed the resolution, while Democrats have criticized it as being a partisan bill.

“I believe we have the votes to do it,” Johnson said on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier.” “We’ll send it over to the Senate, and I suspect they’ll be able to process that.”

Democratic appropriations committee leaders have put forward an alternative bill to keep the government funded through Oct. 31, centering on health care and other issues.

Johnson criticized the counterproposal backed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), saying it was “filled with partisan wish lists and poison pills and demands.”

“He wants to reinstate free health care for illegal aliens. He wants to add $500 million to prop up liberal media outlets, and he wants to add a massive $1.4 trillion spending hike to what should be a simple seven-week stop-gap funding measure,” Johnson said of Democrats’ proposal.

“We can’t do that. We’re not going to do it,” the House speaker said.

Schumer stated on X that the Democrats’ proposed resolution was intended to avert “a catastrophe in healthcare costs.”

In a Truth Social post on Sept. 18, Trump called on House Republicans to unite and vote in support of what he called “a clean temporary funding bill.”

“The Leader of the Democrats, [Schumer], wants to shut the Government down. Republicans want the Government to stay open. Every House Republican should UNIFY, and VOTE YES,” the president wrote.

The GOP-led resolution includes $88 million to increase security for members of Congress, the executive branch, and the Supreme Court after the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10.

The counteroffer proposed by Democrats would roll back health policy changes they said would lead to coverage losses and higher costs, and it would make the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits permanent.

Democrats say over 20 million people use those credits and warn premiums could rise if they expire. The proposal also extends a slate of near-term public health and Medicare items through Oct. 31.

Chase Smith and Jacob Burg contributed to this report.