Republicans unveil Trump-backed bill to avoid shutdown, daring Democrats to oppose it

The US president’s party, despite struggling in the past to pass funding bills on its own, is pushing ahead with a go-it-alone strategy

US House Republicans unveiled a spending bill on Saturday that would keep federal agencies funded through September 30, pushing ahead with a go-it-alone strategy that seems certain to spark a major confrontation with Democrats over the contours of government spending.

The 99-page bill would provide a slight boost to defence programmes while trimming non-defence programmes below 2024 budget year levels. That approach is likely to be a non-starter for most Democrats who have long insisted that defence and non-defence spending move in the same direction.

Congress must act by midnight on Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown.

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Republican Speaker Mike Johnson is teeing up the bill for a vote on Tuesday despite the lack of buy-in from Democrats, essentially daring them to vote against it and risk a shutdown. He also is betting that Republicans can muscle the legislation through the House largely by themselves.

Normally, when it comes to keeping the government fully open for business, Republicans have had to work with Democrats to craft a bipartisan measure that both sides can support. That’s because Republicans almost always lack the votes to pass spending bills on their own.

Crucially, the strategy has the backing of US President Donald Trump, who has shown an ability so far in his term to hold Republicans in line.

Trump praised the bill, writing on social media that Republicans have to “remain UNITED – NO DISSENT – Fight for another day when the timing is right.”

“Great things are coming for America, and I am asking you all to give us a few months to get us through to September so we can continue to put the Country’s ‘financial house’ in order,” he said.

House Republicans’ leadership staff outlined the contours of the measure, saying it would allow for about US$892.5 billion in defence spending and about US$708 billion in non-defence spending. The defence spending is slightly above the prior year’s level, but the non-defence spending, the aides said, was about US$13 billion below last year.

The measure also will not include funding requested by individual lawmakers for thousands of community projects around the country, often referred to as earmarks.

The bill does not cover most government spending, including programmes such as Social Security and Medicare. Funding for those two programmes is on autopilot and is not regularly reviewed by Congress.

The top Democrats on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, Connecticut congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Washington Senator Patty Murray, both issued statements blasting the legislation.

“I strongly oppose this full-year continuing resolution,” DeLauro said.

Murray said the legislation would “give Donald Trump and Elon Musk more power over federal spending – and more power to pick winners and losers, which threatens families in blue and red states alike”.

Maine Senator Susan Collins, who heads the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the focus must be on preventing a shutdown because closures have negative consequences all across government.

“They require certain essential government employees, such as Border Patrol agents, members of our military and coastguard, TSA screeners, and air traffic controllers, to report to work with no certainty on when they will receive their next pay cheque,” Collins said. “We cannot allow that to occur.”

Trump’s request for unity appears to be having an effect. Some conservatives who almost never vote for continuing resolutions expressed much openness to one last week.

Republican congressman Ralph Norman said he has never voted for a continuing resolution, what lawmakers often call a CR, but he is on board with Johnson’s effort. He said he has confidence in Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, to make a difference on the nation’s debt.

“I don’t like CRs,” Norman said. “But what’s the alternative? Negotiate with Democrats? No.”

“I freeze spending for six month to go identify more cuts? Somebody tell me how that’s not a win in Washington,” added congressman Chip Roy, another Republican lawmaker who has often frequently voted against spending bills but supports the six-month continuing resolution.

Republicans are also hoping that resolving this year’s spending will allow them to devote their full attention to extending the individual tax cuts passed during Trump’s first term and raising the nation’s debt limit to avoid a catastrophic federal default.

Democratic leaders are warning that the decision to move ahead without consulting them increases the prospects for a shutdown. One of their biggest concerns is the flexibility the legislation would give the Trump administration on spending.

The Democratic leadership in both chambers has stressed that Republicans have the majority and are responsible for funding the government. But leaders also have been wary of saying how Democrats would vote on a continuing resolution.

“We have to wait to see what their plan is,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York. “We’ve always believed the only solution is a bipartisan solution, no matter what.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said earlier this week that the Democratic caucus would meet and discuss the legislation at the “appropriate moment”. But he struck a more forceful tone Friday.

Jeffries said Democrats are ready to negotiate a “meaningful, bipartisan spending agreement that puts working people first”. But he said the “partisan continuing resolution” threatens to cut funding for key programmes, such as veterans benefits and nutritional aid for low-income families.

“That is not acceptable,” Jeffries said.

Trump has been meeting with House Republicans in an effort to win their votes on the legislation. Republicans have a 218-214 majority in the House, so if all lawmakers vote, they can afford only one defection if Democrats unite in opposition. The maths gets even harder in the Senate, where at least seven Democrats would have to vote for the legislation to overcome a filibuster. And that is assuming all 53 Republicans vote for it.

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