WASHINGTON (SPECTRUM NEWS) — Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin is backing a plan to prevent lawmakers from dragging their feet on the budget as Congress stares down another potential government shutdown.

The House and Senate passed a continuing resolution in September to keep the government open until November 21.

But now lawmakers’ decision to punt a longterm spending fix leaves them with just seven full working days until federal dollars run out.

“Which is ridiculous,” said Sen. Johnson during a Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC) meeting. “I thought we did the bipartisan deal and we’re still facing shutdown. So let’s take that off the table so the Senate and Congress can act in good faith moving forward.”

The HSGAC marked up a handful of pending bills including Sen. James Lankford’s, R-Oklahoma Prevent Government Shutdowns Act.

It would automatically provide short term spending in the event Washington can’t agree on a budget in time and establish rules and consequences for lawmakers.

So far, three Democrats and three Republicans as part of the committee are cosponsoring the bill.

“I’m using my committee and my chairmanship here to highlight the strong bipartisan support to end the chaos, the disfunction, the costs of having this government shutdown,” said Sen. Johnson.

Sen. Johnson believes forcing Congressional leadership’s hands will be the hard part.

But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York thinks the White House is the reason why Capitol Hill can’t seem to move the needle on the appropriations process.

“I think if the four leaders got together, the Democrats and Republicans - McConnell, McCarthy, Pelosi and me - we could come to an agreement,” said Sen. Schumer. “The trouble would be if Donald Trump does what he does last time - at the last minute upsets the apple cart and forces a shutdown.”

But Sen. Johnson thinks the blame should be placed solely on Congress.

“I think the president as far as I know is supportive of the Preventing Government Shutdown Act,” said Sen. Johnson. “I don’t know that he understands the details but I certainly know members of the administration are fully supportive of what we’re trying to do here. The devil is going to be in the details. How do we get Senate leadership, how are we going to get House leadership to embrace this?”

House leaders are eyeing another short-term spending bill to fund the government through December 20.

When asked if the impeachment inquiry would derail the president from signing another stop gap, Pres. Trump said “we’ll see what happens."