In a recent interview on NBC's "Meet the Press", Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) expressed his concerns regarding the "laddered" continuing resolution proposed by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). The two-step stopgap bill aims to prevent a government shutdown ahead of the Friday funding deadline. Murphy described the approach as "gimmicky," but stated that he remained open to the House's discussions.

Under Johnson's proposal, funding for certain government programs would run out on January 19, while the rest would expire on February 2. The intention behind this approach is to avoid negotiations on a comprehensive omnibus funding bill and instead encourage the House and Senate to negotiate on the 12 regular funding bills.

However, Murphy emphasized the importance of keeping the government open and stated that the focus should be on finding a bipartisan solution. He called for "reasonable people in the Senate" to prioritize the overall goal and not let perfection hinder progress.

While Murphy expressed his reservations about the laddered CR approach, he maintained a willingness to listen to the House's discussions. He stated that he would prefer the Senate's plan of passing a clean CR that keeps the entire government open until the same date.

The Connecticut Democrat did not mince words when discussing the current state of the House of Representatives. He referred to it as a "political dumpster fire," blaming the lack of reasonable and thoughtful leadership for the challenges faced by the American people.

Johnson's proposal does not include funding for Israel or Ukraine, a detail that has already drawn opposition from some Senate Democrats. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has indicated that the upper chamber will work towards a temporary extension to avert a government shutdown. Schumer stressed the importance of bipartisan cooperation in order to fund the government.

The discussions surrounding government funding come after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was removed from his position in part due to his attempt to pass a "clean" stopgap bill that relied on Democratic support. Johnson had voted against that particular bill.

As the funding deadline approaches, the focus remains on finding a bipartisan solution that will prevent a government shutdown. The differing approaches between the House and the Senate will need to be reconciled in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the government and address the pressing issues facing the nation.