Shutdown Looms: Will GOP Resistance and Democratic Discontent Derail a Deal?

Shutdown Looms: Will GOP Resistance and Democratic Discontent Derail a Deal?

The House GOP introduced a Continuing Resolution on Saturday that, if approved by both chambers of Congress before midnight on Friday, would prevent a partial government shutdown.

The passage of this stop-gap measure would fund the government through September. As President Donald Trump wrote in a weekend post on Truth Social, the bill would “give us a few months … to put the Country’s ‘financial house’ in order.”

In a separate, earlier post, Trump wrote, “Conservatives will love this Bill, because it sets us up to cut Taxes and Spending in Reconciliation, all while effectively FREEZING Spending this year.”

Although House Speaker Mike Johnson describes it as a “clean” bill, there are a some changes. While it lowers overall spending by $7 billion, it increases the defense budget by $6.6 billion and allocates additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts. I doubt many voters would object to those provisions.

Hot Air’s Ed Morrissey notes that it also provides an opportunity for the GOP to shift the narrative against Democrats. Typically, they accuse Republicans of using budget maneuvers in their continuing resolutions (CRs) to justify blaming them for government shutdowns. This time, however, the proposal is straightforward and transparent, leaving obstruction as the only possible reason to oppose it.

But obstruct it they must. In a joint statement on Saturday evening, Democratic leaders in Congress, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, said Democrats will not support the bill. The statement said:

The partisan House Republican funding bill recklessly cuts healthcare, nutritional assistance and $23 billion in veterans benefits. Equally troublesome, the legislation does nothing to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, while exposing the American people to further pain throughout this fiscal year.

In a letter to members of the Democratic Caucus, they wrote:

We cannot back a measure that rips away life-sustaining healthcare and retirement benefits from everyday Americans as part of the Republican scheme to pay for massive tax cuts for their wealthy donors like Elon Musk. Medicaid is our redline.

They are disingenuously presenting DOGE’s efforts to eliminate rampant fraud in entitlement programs as cuts to healthcare, nutritional assistance, and veterans’ benefits, hoping voters will believe them.

Assuming all lawmakers are present for the vote, which is expected on Tuesday, and all Democrats vote against it (as anticipated), Republicans, with a House majority of 218 to 214, can afford to lose only one vote for the measure to pass.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has already said he will oppose the bill. The congressman was the sole Republican to vote against the GOP’s budget resolution last month.

But now a second Republican, Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales, has signaled his opposition. Last week, he tweeted, “I am a NO on the CR. Congress needs to do its job and pass a conservative budget! CR’s are code for Continued Rubberstamp of fraud, waste, and abuse.”

Morrissey explained why we’re stuck with the continuing resolution (CR) process: That decision was essentially made last year when Democrats controlled the Senate and House Republicans were engaged in internal conflicts. He pointed out that while it’s theoretically possible to draft an entirely new budget for FY2024-25 instead of relying on a CR, we’re already nearly halfway through the fiscal year. Starting from scratch would require significant time, meaning we’d still need a CR just to buy enough time for the process. Under regular order—with the proper committee procedures—that would take at least a couple of months, by which point the remaining fiscal year would be closer to just a single quarter.

Leavitt: "The President supports this CR and we're hopeful and expect Republicans to get on board so we can pass it and continue moving forward implementing President Trump's agenda." pic.twitter.com/FTpCTKdOQO

— Gabriela Iglesias (@iglesias_gabby) March 9, 2025

Trump will undoubtedly exert significant pressure on Republican dissenters, as he did during the recent budget resolution battle. While he may not be able to sway Massie, Gonzales could potentially come around.

On a more positive note, several prominent Republican fiscal hawks, including Reps. Ralph Norman (SC), Tim Burchett (TN), and Tom Cole (OK), have expressed openness to the CR.

Assuming Johnson can get the bill across the finish line, it will move to the Senate, where 60 votes will be needed to overcome a filibuster. Given that there are only 53 Republican senators and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has pledged to vote against the proposal, eight Democratic votes will be required for passage.

Looming government shutdowns have become a frequent occurrence on Capitol Hill. And most of the time, they are averted at the last minute.

This time, however, may be different. Democrats, desperate to end the Department of Government Efficiency’s audit of the federal budget, and sidelined from the White House, as well as leadership in the Senate and the House, may use their votes as leverage in this fight.

The Republicans may be forced to offer some concessions to Democrats in order to pass this bill. But pass it they must if the GOP plans to advance Trump’s agenda.

Elizabeth writes commentary for The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation and a member of the Editorial Board at The Sixteenth Council, a London think tank. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.

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