House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) could face a series of challenges following the announcement of an agreed-upon top-line spending number for appropriations bills as time winds down to pass the measures.

In a letter sent to members on Sunday, Johnson revealed he and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had agreed to $1.59 trillion overall for the appropriations bills, with $886 billion set aside for defense spending and $704 billion for nondefense. The top-line number was initially set last year in the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

The first funding deadline is roughly one week away on Jan. 19, and despite coming to an agreement with the Senate’s leadership of the opposite party, Johnson still has several challenges to keep in mind.

Securing Southern Border

Republicans are making border security a sticking point in the new fiscal year, with some calling to shut down the government if stricter measures aren’t agreed to by their Democratic counterparts.

“The Republican House majority cannot and must not continue funding a government that is purposefully facilitating the unprecedented invasion at our southern border,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good (R-VA) told NBC News after GOP lawmakers toured the border.

Several other hard-line Republicans have threatened to usher in a shutdown if their border security terms aren’t agreed to.

But with Republicans having a narrow majority, which has only shrunk since they took over the House, as well as a minority in the Senate and a Democrat in the White House, it’s unlikely those hard-line conservative members will get all their wishes on border policy.

Funding Deadlines Approaching

Johnson is also handicapped by a time crunch to get funding measures passed.

In a bid to avoid a government shutdown, as well as a last-minute holiday omnibus deal, the speaker opted for a laddered continuing resolution approach, pushing off funding deadlines to January and February. While Johnson managed to avoid the rushed passage of bills ahead of Christmas, he left himself with a busy and chaotic first several weeks of the year.

Four appropriations bills are due on the Jan. 19 deadline, while the government has until Feb. 2 to agree on the last eight.

Republican Conference Backlash

Some Republicans may buck their party due to the top-line agreement Johnson made with Schumer, upset with the number’s size.

Soon after the deal was announced, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “I am a NO to the Johnson Schumer budget deal.”

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“This $1.6 Trillion dollar budget agreement does nothing to secure the border, stop the invasion, or stop the weaponized government targeting Biden’s political enemies and innocent Americans. So much for the power of the purse!” she said.

During the spending fight last year, several Republicans objected to what they said was a lack of fiscal conservatism.