House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced that the House will vote on a 45-day short-term spending bill Saturday, and it will include the natural disaster aid that the White House requested.
It will be under suspension, meaning it will need two-thirds of House members to pass. That means Republicans will need help from Democrats.
Asked if he is concerned that a member, like Rep. Matt Gaetz, could move to oust him over this bill, McCarthy replied: “If I have to risk my job for standing up for the American public, I will do that.”
The negotiations surrounding a last-ditch effort to avert a shutdown have evolved throughout the morning.
McCarthy’s announcement appears to reflect a rapid shift inside the House GOP conference meeting this morning, where just a short time ago lawmakers had indicated they would focus on bills that would minimize the impact of a government shutdown, rather than completely avoid one.
A number of Republicans, including Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Tom Cole of Oklahoma, say they are now planning to bring a stopgap funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, to the floor. The bill would fund the government for 45 days and include disaster relief but no aid for Ukraine.