GOP Senate leader undermines House speaker’s strategy in quest for longer funding deal

Senate Republican Majority Leader John Thune may have just changed the calculus that has allowed House Speaker Mike Johnson to keep Republicans in their home districts since mid-September: he no longer believes continuing resolution legislation should reopen the government only until November 21.

Speaker Johnson has insisted that the House will not vote on any legislation until the Senate passes the House’s bill, but now that Leader Thune has drawn a line in the sand, it appears Johnson might have to change course.

CNN’s Manu Raju reported on Thune’s Monday afternoon remarks: “Says Senate would have to pass new CR and send back to House.”

The key phrase is “new CR” — and that’s assuming Senate Democrats would back any continuing resolution that doesn’t include health care subsidies, which is far from certain.

Bloomberg News’ Erik Wasson summed it up: “House CR is now dead.”

Semafor’s Burgess Everett reported, “Thune says the Senate’s goal is no longer to pass the House CR, which would expire on Nov. 21. ‘That date’s lost,’ he says, explaining there’s not enough time to pass appropriations bills by then. Says he’s open to a CR lasting into January to give a longer runway.”

Thune added: “I think we’re getting close to an off ramp.”

The Bulwark’s Sam Stein noted, “if this is now the case, then the House should in theory get back to work because Johnson’s position has always been that Thune needs to act on their CR. And that should mean grijalva should be seated.”

Stein was referring to Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ), who was elected in September but whom Speaker Johnson has refused to swear in for 41 days.

Stein subsequently added, “that said, i don’t believe Johnson will bring the house back.”

Leader Thune is also not certain on what would happen.

“Thune says ‘there is a difference’ between being optimistic & confident about shutdown ending soon. As of now, he’s the former,” reported Punchbowl News’ Andrew Desiderio.

Desiderio also reported that Thune said, “The objective here is to try to get something we can send back” to House. The “Senate would amend CR to extend end-date,” Desiderio added.

Seemingly, that would require Johnson to bring the Republicans back and bring the House back into session.

CBS News also reported that “Thune said there are procedural maneuvers for changing the date in the House bill, but doing so would require consent from all senators or at least 60 votes.”

U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) says he and three others “have identified a bipartisan path forward on the future of the ACA’s Enhanced Premium Tax Credits. Even in gridlock, Congress can find common ground to lower health care costs & get back to work for the American people.”