House Freedom Caucus members, who have been wary of Speaker Paul Ryan and his leadership team in the past, appear to be standing by Speaker Johnson on the issue of government spending. The speaker recently outlined his plan to keep the government open and avert a potential shutdown on October 1. Johnson has sought to satisfy both sides of the debate over spending by proposing to increase funding for military and border security while holding the line on domestic spending.
The Freedom Caucus has been a key player in past budget negotiations and its support for Johnson is likely to influence the Republican majority on this issue. Caucus members are supportive of Johnson’s approach and seem ready to join him in pushing his plan through. This support from the rebels within the Republican party could help Johnson win enough votes to avoid a potential government shutdown.
On the other side of the aisle, Democrats have opposed the Republican-led effort to increase military and border security without significant increases to domestic programs as well. Democrats are also likely to oppose Johnson’s approach, arguing that it does not do enough to address the needs of Americans.
If Johnson is successful in gaining enough support on both sides of the aisle to pass a spending bill, it will likely be on his terms and work to his advantage. This could help strengthen his position as Speaker and prove skeptics wrong about his ability to lead. It could also create the potential for Johnson’s leadership team to be successful in passing additional items on President Trump’s agenda.
