House Speaker Mike Johnson presented his proposal on Saturday to avert a partial government shutdown by extending funding for certain agencies and programs until Jan. 19, while continuing funding for others until Feb. 2.

This approach deviates from the usual method of extending funding for all programs until a specific date.

Johnson opted for a combination approach to address concerns from GOP lawmakers, aiming to avoid presenting them with an extensive spending bill just before the holidays.

In a statement following an afternoon conference call with GOP lawmakers, Johnson explained, “This two-step continuing resolution is a necessary bill to place House Republicans in the best position to fight for conservative victories.”

He emphasized that the bill aims to break the tradition of introducing massive spending bills right before the Christmas recess, CBS News reported.

Notably, the bill excludes funding requested by President Biden for Israel, Ukraine, and the U.S. border with Mexico.

Johnson justified this separation, stating that it positions the conference to advocate for fiscal responsibility, oversight over Ukraine aid, and meaningful policy changes at the Southern border.

Despite the typical reluctance of hardline conservatives to support temporary spending measures, they indicated a willingness to give Johnson some leeway in passing the legislation, known as a continuing resolution (CR), to provide Congress with additional time for negotiating a long-term agreement.

Written by B.C. Begley