‘A Very Big Win’: House Progressive Leader Praises Speaker Johnson’s Spending Proposal

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, praised Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) proposal Tuesday to continue to fund the government and avoid a shutdown.

“Two of the big things that we wanted are in this bill. I mean, it is a big win that it is 2023 levels,” Jayapal told a reporter on Capitol Hill, adding:

That is what we’ve said from the very beginning and that it doesn’t contain any poison pills. And so I think those are very significant wins for us. I have had concerns about dividing up the, you know, the continuing resolution into two and separating it. To me, that makes no sense. I think the reason Speaker Johnson is doing this is because he needs to give a bone to the Freedom Caucus.

I worry that it’s two fiscal cliffs, but I think we’re going to have to weigh the fact that the Senate seems to have not acted. And so I think I think it’s a very big win that it’s 2023 levels and nothing else. Wait to see. I need to hear from my caucus as well. We’re going to have a meeting today of the Progressive Caucus. And I kind of want to hear what people have to say before I make a final decision.

“But I think we have been clear that their MAGA extremist agenda is not going to fly and that they need Democrats to pass anything that is very clear,” she concluded.

Another reporter then asked, “Do you think there’s any chance that Israel or Ukraine could get attached at the last minute, given the fact that Johnson needs Democratic support?”

“I don’t think so,” the Washington state Democrat responded.

Johnson plans to continue funding the government with a two-step process. The Washington Post explained Tuesday, “Under Johnson’s plan, Congress would fund roughly 20 percent of government agencies at their current levels through Jan. 19. His bill would then fund the other 80 percent of agencies through Feb. 2, also at current funding levels. (These numbers exclude automatic funding for programs like Social Security and Medicare.)”

“At least in theory, that would require Congress to take up funding the government in two distinct steps this winter, which is why some lawmakers refer to Johnson’s bill as a ‘laddered’ or ‘bifurcated’ plan,” the Post noted. Johnson’s measure still has to pass the House in order to avert a shutdown.

Watch the full clip above C-SPAN.