House Republicans will look at another stopgap measure to keep the government funded if the Nov. 17 deadline comes and the appropriations process has not been completed, Speaker Mike Johnson said Sunday.
"Our first priority is to get the government funded," the Louisiana Republican said on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures." "Our team is ready and working like a well-oiled machine."
He pointed out that the energy and water bill was passed a day after he assumed the gavel, "and we're moving as quickly as possible and trying to beat the deadline."
But if the deadline comes, and "we're unable to finish [as] it is detailed work and it takes some time, we'll look at another stopgap measure," said Johnson. "If we run out of time on the calendar we may need a little bit more to complete it."
The House conservatives' objective, he added, is to reduce credible spending, as "we're haunted by the federal debt, $33.6 trillion … we have to keep that in mind always."
Republicans also want to decrease "the woke and weaponized federal government" while reducing spending and making sure there is accountability, said Johnson.
"All of that comes into the equation of the debate, whatever the topline number is," he said. "We worked hard to come in beneath it and you will see that happening over the coming days."
He added that he would favor, if there has to be a stopgap funding measure, to set its deadline for Jan. 15.
"Oftentimes the Senate tries to jam the House and nominate an omnibus bill," he said. "We're not doing that. We have single-subject bills and our separate appropriations bill. Pushing that into January I think would assist us in the endeavor."
Johnson also on Sunday was asked about the future of the rule that allows one member of the House to move to vacate the House speaker's seat, which was used in ousting his predecessor, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.
"Everyone has told me the rule has to change," he said. "I'm not afraid of it because I'm going to openly work [on] transparency with every member and everyone will fully understand what were doing and why that's a big part of it."
The rule, though, makes it "difficult for any speaker" to do the job, so "we will have some discussions about that but it's not my highest priority."
"I said in my speech when I took the oath [I want] to decentralize the power," he said. "I want to empower our chairman and the committees of jurisdiction and all of the talented people in the House and make them more of a part of the big decisions and situations in the process and ensure regular order. If we do that we don't have to worry about a motion to vacate."
When asked if he thinks the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden will become an official impeachment, he knows that the committee chairmen behind the investigation are "working methodically," but an impeachment will not be used for "political partisan games" like the Democrats "did against Donald Trump twice."
He said he's also looking at a subpoena to bring Hunter Biden in to testify to Congress.
"I think desperate times call for desperate measures," he said. "That perhaps is overdue."
He said he'll be speaking with the attorneys involved, but at the same time "we're trying to move forward on this aggressively."
"I think American people are owed these answers and are suspicious about all of this," he said. "The evidence that we gathered so far is affirming what many of us fear may be the worst. As Jamie Comer likes to say, 'Nank records don't lie.' We have a lot of the evidence, the dots are being connected, and we will see where it leads."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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