Federal Managers Association

In the News

• New House speaker has a plan to avoid a shutdown—and to overhaul the civil service - October 26, 2023

• By Eric Katz, Government Executive

  The new leader of the House has a history of proposals to reform the civil service and engaging in shutdown politics, though he appears disinclined to continue his opposition to keeping government open when current funding expires next month.
  
  After three weeks of chaos since Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s, R-Calif., ouster, House Republicans on Wednesday elected Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., as speaker. Johnson has served in leadership during the 118th Congress but was relatively unknown before he became the fourth Republican nominee for the speakership role this month. He perhaps won most notoriety by leading congressional efforts to decertify several states’ 2020 election results at the Supreme Court.
  
  As he sought his new job, Johnson laid out a plan to keep government open past its current deadline. He said he would support a continuing resolution through either Jan. 15 or April 15 while the House continues voting on its full-year fiscal 2024 appropriations measures. Those bills are only winning approval along party lines as they include spending caps far below the levels House Republicans agreed to after negotiations with President Biden as part of the deal to raise the debt ceiling. Johnson voted for that agreement, but told colleagues they should continue approving the smaller spending bills so they can then begin negotiations with the Senate and White House. Quickly after winning the speakership, Johnson began consideration of House Republicans’ fiscal 2024 Energy Department appropriations bill.

  To read the full article, click here.

##