"House GOP Majority Further Diminishes as More Republicans Resign Early"

The GOP majority in the House is set to decrease to a two-seat margin with the resignation of Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, on Jan. 21, coinciding with critical government funding deadlines on Jan. 19 and Feb. 2. This comes after former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's departure and ahead of Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., expected resignation in February. The narrow majority poses challenges for bipartisan negotiations to avoid a government shutdown, with Republicans having less leverage to include conservative policies in appropriations bills. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed optimism about reaching a budget agreement to prevent a shutdown.