May 7, 2024
## Federal Government Relations Updates
Read the update from ARAWC Gov. Relations Consultant AJ Donelson below:Congressional Update – Coalition Government?
Is the current Congress acting more like a parliamentary-style coalition government than the typical portrayal of Congress as a partisan, deeply divided legislature?
House Speaker Mike Johnson recently has allowed moderate Republicans to join with Democrats to approve legislation over the objections of hard right Republicans, despite constant threats from the right to evict Johnson as Speaker. Passage of a $95 billion supplemental foreign aid package, which included funding for Ukraine, and an agreement to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) are just the two latest examples of a coalition style government.
While House Speaker Mike Johnson has a reputation as one of the more conservative members of the House, his term as Speaker began with him allowing the House to vote and pass (over conservative objections) funding to keep the government open. While partisan rancor remains on many issues, expect to see continued coalition style negotiation over big ticket items like appropriations, defense authorization and the farm bill.