House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is poised to have an "absolutely brutal week” as a confluence of challenges is all set to fall into his lap within a matter of days, challenges that present the House GOP leader with risks of losing support and are likely to “set the tone for the rest of the legislative year,” Punchbowl News reported on Monday.
On Thursday, a law that permits national intelligence agencies to surveil Americans in some instances – one President Donald Trump has pushed Congress to extend – is set to expire, and Johnson has yet to secure adequate support for a measure to extend it. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains unfunded, and a temporary measure funding DHS employees expires on Thursday.
Johnson has also promised to advance the Senate’s budget resolution ahead of funding DHS, a resolution that Republicans are looking to advance using reconciliation, a process by which a proposed budget is crafted to be budget neutral, and therefore, would only require a simple majority to move forward. Punchbowl News reported that a vote for the resolution is "envisioned for Wednesday.”
And, with a slim GOP majority in the House, Johnson is expected to face a fierce uphill battle, one that may force him to compromise with House Democrats, particularly with extending the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), the aforementioned mass surveillance law.
“Johnson will likely need House Democrats one way or another here,” Punchbowl News’ report reads. “There’s not enough Democratic support for passing FISA under suspension, so Johnson may turn to pro-FISA Democrats to pass a rule. Republicans could need to make concessions to get those Democratic votes. The FISA bill is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday on the floor.”
Regarding the Senate’s budget resolution, Johnson is expected to release his plans on how he’ll advocate for the spending package using reconciliation, a process that Punchbowl News described as risky.
“Johnson will release this week a number of policies he’ll try to notch in Reconciliation 3.0,” Punchbowl News reported. “There’s a risk to this approach because Reconciliation 3.0 is far from a sure thing, and it could cost Johnson votes from moderates and conservatives alike.”