House Speaker Mike Johnson briefs the media in the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, Nov. 10, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
According to comments from lawmakers made to Fox News Digital, as many as 20 Republicans had threatened to kill the spending package during a key procedural vote later on Wednesday. They demanded the inclusion of a provision to allow the year-round sale of E15 ethanol, a type of gasoline blend.
Under the current Clean Air Act, E15's sales are limited due to failing to overcome Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.
Johnson, emerging from the Rules Committee early on Thursday, said he had reached an agreement with the would-be rebels.
"It's a very positive development," Johnson told Fox News Digital.
"We decided among a good representation of the conference late last night that we would create the E15 Domestic Energy Council. It will be composed not just of members from across the conference with different views but also stakeholders — refiners, people in the industry."
That council, Johnson also explained, would take a closer look at the demands made by Midwest Republicans and weigh them against the environmental protections the country has in place. He said he expected those talks to be a "worthwhile endeavor" but didn't expand on what kind of resolution he expects to see.
A source close to the matter told Fox News Digital that the agreement would mandate the working group meet regularly next month with the goal of recommending legislation by Feb. 25.
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The bill will next face a procedural vote known as a "rule vote," when the entire House weighs whether to allow for debate and final consideration of a given measure or set of bills.
Rule votes traditionally fall along party lines even if the underlying bills have bipartisan support, meaning Johnson can afford to lose no more than two GOP votes and still advance the legislation.
If passed, the two separate spending packages will later be joined together for consideration in the Senate.
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Captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arrives at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York City, Jan. 5, 2026. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
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Among them are amendments to prevent any of the funding in the bill from being used to invade a NATO-protected country and a measure to prohibit federal funds from being used in military actions against Venezuela after Trump executed a military operation to capture the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro.
Amendments to the DHS bill also sought to reduce the salary of Secretary Kristi Noem to $1 or eliminate the funding of the agency altogether.
Those amendments were largely symbolic protests, however, and were not included in the final bill.
Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dhs-funding-heads-house-vote-after-johnson-quells-gop-revolt-over-ethanol