Speaker Johnson Says He’ll Stand By Spending Pact, Daring Right Wing To Oppose Him

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Friday he intends to stand by a previously announced deal on the overall amount of money to be spent for most of the government this year, putting him at odds with spending hawks in his own party.

“In keeping with my commitment to bring members into the legislative process, I’ve spoken with and received feedback this week from many members all across the Republican conference,” Johnson told reporters in the U.S. Capitol.

“Our topline agreement remains,” he said. “We are getting our next steps together and we are working toward a robust appropriations process. So stay tuned for all of that to develop.”

Johnson’s announcement caps off a week of back-and-forth between him and his fellow House Republicans over a pact he reached with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Under that agreement, the so-called topline amount for spending on government agencies and programs outside of Social Security and Medicare in 2024 would total about $1.59 trillion.

While the amount is similar to the topline agreed to last year by Democrats and then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Johnson touted some changes in related agreements that would result in less spending, calling them improvements over the original deal.

The deal by itself does not guarantee there will be no government shutdown, but merely provides a common overall number that lawmakers must make individual spending bills fit into. Also, with some departments set to lose funding at midnight on Jan. 19, a stopgap bill will likely be necessary to keep those agencies’ lights on. Schumer has started down the procedural path to pass a temporary funding extension in the Senate.

But many foes of government spending have balked at