Two House Republicans oppose Johnson’s spending plan amid conservative grumbling

Two House Republicans say they will oppose Speaker Mike Johnson’s plan to pass a “clean” stopgap spending bill this week that would punt a possible government shutdown into November, threatening GOP leaders’ plan to jam Senate Democrats ahead of the Sept. 30 funding deadline.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who regularly opposes leadership-backed spending bills, said in a brief interview Monday he would oppose the new expected continuing resolution as well.

“I am a No unless it cuts spending, which I do not anticipate,” he said.

Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) said in an X post Sunday night that she was also a “no,” saying she could not “cannot support [a CR] that ends funding right before a major holiday to jam us with an Omnibus.” The Johnson-backed measure is expected to expire on the Friday before Thanksgiving.

Two “no” votes would put House Republicans at risk of losing a party-line vote if one additional GOP member breaks ranks. Spartz, it should be noted, has a long history of delivering ultimatums only to change her mind before under pressure from the White House.

Leaders are aiming to unveil text as soon as Monday, though they still need to work out final details of adding enhanced member security funding following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Two people granted anonymity to candidly describe the private talks said it could end up on a separate package of several full-year funding bills.

Other Republicans, meanwhile, are airing their displeasure with Johnson’s strategy — even though a similar play was credited with forcing a Democratic surrender back in March, the last time lawmakers dealt with a shutdown deadline.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) posted Monday that another CR would continue funding levels established under former President Joe Biden, referring to it as “Biden’s budget that FUNDS TRANSGENDER POLICIES, NOT our own Trump policy budget that funds what you voted for.”

She also criticized Johnson for holding “zero meetings” about the stopgap plan and continuing a “charade” of an appropriations process. But she did not say explicitly that she would oppose it.