Republicans and Democrats are racing against time to reach consensus on a spending deal that would prevent a government shutdown. With the March 14 deadline just two weeks away, lawmakers from both parties have been involved in fervent negotiations.
Negotiations have been complicated by President Donald Trump’s defiance of spending laws previously passed by Congress, his suspension of foreign aid, and the firing of thousands of federal employees. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle cite Trump’s unilateral actions as a major hurdle in securing a funding agreement that would keep the government operational beyond mid-March.
Democrats insist on guarantees that would prevent Trump and his budget adviser, billionaire Elon Musk, from implementing further job cuts or canceling key government programs.
“We will continue to make clear that the law has to be followed,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries emphasized last week, underscoring the party’s concerns over executive overreach.
Conversely, Republicans argue that Democratic attempts to rein in Trump’s authority are a deal-breaker.
“The bigger issue is the Democrats’ insistence on putting poison pills into the bill that would restrict the president’s abilities,” said Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine.
Despite the tension, Collins remains optimistic, stating she is “very close” to an agreement with Democrats to maintain government funding at current levels through the fiscal year ending September 30. Trump has signaled support for such a proposal on social media.
The spending bill under discussion would only cover a portion of the federal budget, including agencies like the Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency, while leaving out broader fiscal concerns such as the rising national debt and entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.
Stopgap arrangement
House Speaker Mike Johnson, appearing on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’, stated that he aims to pass a stopgap funding bill.
“We are working hard to do our responsibility to keep the government open,” said Johnson, a Louisiana Republican. “We need our Democrat colleagues to come to the table and be reasonable about that.”
Johnson leads a slim 218-215 majority and last year had to repeatedly turn to Democrats to pass legislation through his chamber, where a simple majority suffices. Democratic votes are needed to pass most bills in the Senate, where Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority, short of the 60-vote threshold for most legislation.
Trump’s administration has made clear that its budget cutting efforts will continue. Officials last week ordered federal agencies to lay the groundwork for further layoffs, beyond the 100,000 who have already been fired or offered a buyout. The government employed 2.3 million civilian workers last year. Failure to reach a spending deal by March 14 would force the government to furlough hundreds of thousands of workers and shutter “nonessential” operations, such as financial regulation and trash pickup at national parks.
The last government shutdown was also the longest, ending in January 2019 after 35 days, as Trump during his first term in office and lawmakers clashed over his effort to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.
With no clear resolution in sight, lawmakers have already begun pointing fingers.
“Republicans have a responsibility to fund the government,” Jeffries asserted last week, noting that the GOP controls the White House and both chambers of Congress.
On the other hand, Representative John Rutherford, a Florida Republican, argued that if Democrats vote against a “clean” extension of spending through September, “they’re the ones voting for the shutdown, not us.”
With the deadline fast approaching and no resolution in sight, Washington braces for yet another budget showdown that could have significant ramifications for federal workers, government services, and the broader economy.
