House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has floated the idea of using a special procedural maneuver to give lawmakers the ability to bypass House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and taorreste infrastructure talks with President Joe Biden without the fear of facing a government shutdown. Jeffries proposed the procedure, known as a self-executing rule, during a Monday press conference. The technique would allow the House to pass a “clean” continuing resolution and avoid a budget showdown with the White House, but it would require support from McCarthy, who has threatened to shut down the government if his party’s priorities are not addressed. With a self-executing rule, Democrats could route around McCarthy and proceed to negotiations with the White House. Jeffries said such a proposal “would be the legitimate use of the self-executing rule and should be made available as an option for all points of view.” Republican leaders have dismissed the idea, calling it an “end-run” around their party’s leadership. In the end, it’s unlikely that Democrats will succeed in pushing through a self-executing rule without McCarthy’s approval, but the proposal shows that Jeffries and other Democrats are willing to consider creative measures to avoid a government shutdown.
