"Conservative Pressure Mounts on House Speaker Johnson Over Bipartisan Spending Deal"

Hard-right House Republicans are pressuring Speaker Mike Johnson to back out of the bipartisan spending deal he made with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, expressing anger over the lack of focus on border security and opposition to providing additional aid to Ukraine. Johnson has not committed to backing out of the deal, but the clash highlights the challenge of balancing demands from ultraconservative forces while striking deals with a Democratic-led Senate and White House. The hard-right Republicans see the must-pass spending legislation as leverage to force Democrats to accept budget cuts and conservative policy provisions. Senate leaders intend to follow through with the deal to avert a government shutdown, while House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries warns that backing out of the agreement would harm the American people.