Congress announces short-term spending deal after Johnson drops key MAGA demand

Congressional leaders on Sunday said they reached an agreement on legislation to fund the federal government for three more months, averting a shutdown and stoking right-wing ire and allegations that Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson "caved" to Democrats by dropping a key demand by his far-right colleagues.

According to The New York Times:

The deal, which extends federal appropriations through Dec. 20, includes an additional $231 million to help the beleaguered Secret Service protect candidates during the upcoming presidential election and into next year. According to the Treasury Department, the United States has spent about $6.3 trillion in fiscal 2024, which ends on Sept. 30. The timeline of the deal allows Congress to sidestep a government shutdown during the campaign season, but it all but ensures that spending disputes will dominate the lame-duck period between the election and the inauguration of a new Congress in January.

"While I am pleased bipartisan negotiations quickly led to a government funding agreement free of cuts and poison pills, this same agreement could have been done two weeks ago," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement applauding the continuing resolution. "Instead, Speaker Johnson chose to follow the MAGA way and wasted precious time."

Far-right Republican lawmakers had pushed Johnson to demand a proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration as part of any deal. However, Johnson dropped his demand in order to secure an agreement, drawing attacks from MAGA Republicans—some of whom called on the speaker to resign or face an ouster similar to that of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) nearly a year ago.

Meanwhile, some more moderate Republicans praised Johnson. David Frum, a commentator and former speechwriter for then-President George W. Bush, said on social media that Johnson "bested" former President Donald Trump, the 2024 GOP nominee.

Democrats also raked Johnson. MeidasTouch Network editor-in-chief Ron Filipkowski said, "Just as I predicted, weak, feckless, and incompetent Mike Johnson has just surrendered again to the Democrats after Trump forced him into a public humiliation."

"Republicans can't govern," he added.