House Republicans are set to bend to political realities this week and avert a government shutdown after weeks of false starts and campaign trail interference from Donald Trump.
The new plan, released Sunday, could be up for a vote as early as Wednesday. It would keep the government open until Dec. 20 and provide other provisions such as an additional $231 million for the Secret Service.
Few appear overjoyed, including lawmakers eager to make holiday plans around the new Dec. 20 deadline, but all major congressional leaders have signaled their support. The measure is likely to pass both the House and Senate before current funding expires on Sept. 30.
What’s not in the plan are ideas that House Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP nominee Donald Trump had insisted for weeks were must-haves — notably a GOP-backed election security proposal that was dead on arrival among Democrats as well as ideas to keep the government open into 2025 and pushing the issue to the next president.
"Since we fell a bit short of the goal line, an alternative plan is now required," Johnson wrote in a letter to colleagues Sunday, adding, "while this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances."
Read more: What happens to Social Security payments during a government shutdown?
The new plan B from Johnson appears likely to avert an economically and politically damaging shutdown just weeks before an election, but it’s a concession that could become a new flashpoint with Trump.
The GOP nominee had previously said Republicans "should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form" without the now discarded provisions; he has not commented since Johnson’s pivot.
Johnson and other Republicans had tried to accommodate Trump with the House vote last week, but that even failed the House with 14 Republicans voting against the package and dooming it to a 202-220 defeat.
This week’s vote is sure to be different, with Democrats set to sign onto the streamlined plan that will push government shutdown talks past the November election so all sides can get back to the campaign trail.
In his own comments, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed his support for the bill but added, "This same agreement could have been done two weeks ago."
Another increase to Washington's 'risk profile'
In any case, experts often note that while this outcome was predictable, it nonetheless could be another strike against US creditworthiness and raise additional instability in the relationship between the private sector and the government.