House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will once again have his work cut out for him corraling his razor-thin GOP majority in order to pass more of what party voters and President Trump want now that the House is back in session.
The House returned to Washington on Monday with a major government funding vote at the top of the agenda as lawmakers confront a narrow Republican majority and renewed disputes over spending and border policy.
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After a five-week recess, members came back to Capitol Hill with a short-term spending measure among their most immediate priorities.
Government funding is currently set to expire Sept. 30, raising the prospect of a shutdown if Congress cannot reach an agreement.
House Republican leaders planned to move quickly on the stopgap bill under a procedure requiring a two-thirds majority for passage.
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The Senate approved a bipartisan measure in early August that would extend government funding through Dec. 11, while the House had previously passed a Republican-backed proposal that would run through Dec. 4.
Although the two measures differ by only one week, the disagreement illustrates how even relatively small differences can complicate negotiations over federal spending.
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Democrats have also raised objections over funding for Customs and Border Protection, arguing that the House approach could give the Trump administration greater flexibility to shift money toward Border Patrol operations.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, warned that the absence of a specific restriction could “allow the Trump administration to move funds allotted to the rest of Customs and Border Protection to Border Patrol.”
The dispute underscores how immigration and border security remain central points of contention even during broader negotiations over keeping the government funded.
With the Sept. 30 funding deadline approaching, lawmakers face a limited window to reach an agreement before federal agencies could be forced into a partial shutdown.
The timetable is further compressed by the House calendar, which includes another weeklong break around Labor Day, leaving lawmakers with fewer legislative days to resolve their differences.
At the same time, the balance of power in the House is set to tighten. Democrats are expected to add two members following recent special elections.
Aisha Wahab won the Aug. 18 special election to succeed former Rep. Eric Swalwell in California, while Everton Blair won the Aug. 25 contest for the Georgia seat previously held by former Rep. David Scott.
Once both are sworn in, the House is expected to stand at 219 Republicans and 214 Democrats, further narrowing the GOP’s already slim majority.
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That margin gives Republican leaders little room for defections on closely divided votes. Six Democrats supported the House funding measure in July, but future legislation could prove more difficult as both parties confront tighter vote counts.
The narrow majority also means vacancies, absences, internal disagreements and ongoing ethics controversies could play an outsized role in determining whether major legislation advances.
Ethics controversies are adding another complication to the House’s fall agenda, with investigations and disciplinary proceedings involving members of both parties.
The House Ethics Committee has disclosed investigations involving Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, and Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif.
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Miller has faced allegations involving domestic violence and drug use, which he has denied. Gomez has separately been accused of sexual misconduct and has also denied wrongdoing. The allegations against both lawmakers remain unproven.
The committee has also recommended that the House censure Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., after concluding that he engaged in “persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct towards two young female staffers.”
The committee said it found no evidence that Edwards “engaged in sexual activity with or explicitly propositioned any individual under his employ.”
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Edwards ended his reelection campaign shortly after the findings became public.
His campaign argued that the report “completely exonerate[s]” him of violating House rules related to sexual misconduct.
The House could consider a censure resolution against Edwards as soon as this week.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
