Spending plan ahead of shutdown...

House Republicans ditch partisan spending plan ahead of shutdown

By JOHN BRESNAHAN and RACHAEL BADE

Facing opposition within their own ranks — and a potential government shutdown — House Republicans are once again changing their strategy on a funding bill.

Gone is the plan for a bill funding the Pentagon for the rest of the fiscal year and other government agencies until mid-January. Now House Republicans will extend funding only until Jan. 19 for the whole government, hoping the new strategy will produce enough support to stave off a funding lapse come midnight Friday.

A massive $81 billion disaster aid bill will be broken out and have a separate vote. There is surprisingly strong opposition to that package, which was unveiled by the House Appropriations Committee only on Monday.

It is still unclear whether GOP leaders will include funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program as part of the new funding bill. And while some defense programs are expected to get a boost under the plan, those details are still under wraps.

A proposal to reauthorize so-called Section 702 spying powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act will go as a standalone bill as well.

A Senate plan to add bipartisan Obamacare stabilization funds to the funding bill — known as a continuing resolution — looks dead on arrival in the House. That is likely to spur a tense legislative back-and-forth in the final hours before funding is set to expire this week.

The change in direction shows once again how difficult it is for House Speaker Paul Ryan to get anything through the House, especially if he is relying on GOP votes alone.

Republican House leaders had planned to hold a vote Wednesday on the initial funding bill, seen as a way to placate the party’s most conservative members. But after deciding to tack on billions of dollars in disaster aid — with all that money set to add directly to the deficit — those same members ultimately reneged on commitments of support.

Now, House GOP leaders hope to vote on all these bills on Thursday, and then adjourn, leaving the Senate to finish up consideration of the measures. Top Republicans believe Senate Democrats will accept the plan and avoid a government shutdown, or having to return to Washington next week.

For their part, Democrats are already jumping at the opportunity to note the GOP’s miscalculation.

“Republican leadership is so preoccupied with their tax giveaway to corporations and contributors that they managed to get surprised by this — the most predictable train wreck in history,” said Matt Dennis, Democratic communications director for the House Appropriations Committee.