Government Shutdown Looms as Trump Endorses Continuing Resolution, House Republicans Divided
Washington D.C. – With the specter of a mid-March government shutdown looming large, former President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through the end of September. This move, intended to avert a shutdown, has however exposed fault lines within the House Republican caucus, revealing a divergence of opinion on the path forward.
Trump, in a late-night post on Truth Social, criticized President Biden for what he termed a "total MESS," referring to the stalled budget process. "The Budget from last YEAR is still not done. We are working very hard with the House and Senate to pass a clean, temporary government funding Bill (CR) to the end of September. Let’s get it done!" he declared. The former president’s endorsement of a clean CR, which would essentially maintain current funding levels, signifies a desire for a quick and temporary solution to avert immediate crisis.
Representative Chip Roy of Texas emerged as an early supporter of Trump’s proposal. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Roy expressed his intention to back a "clean CR to hold spending flat" while the "DOGE" – an apparent reference to a specific entity or initiative – continues to identify potential spending cuts. He further articulated the desire for the administration to reprogram funds based on these identified cuts and for Congress to prepare a "strong FY26 appropriation package" that reflects both DOGE’s recommendations and "common sense."
However, the notion of a clean CR has not been universally embraced within the House Republican ranks. Speaker Mike Johnson has suggested the possibility of incorporating "anomalies" into the CR, allowing for targeted increases or decreases in spending. He specifically mentioned the potential for including language reflecting spending changes, such as cuts associated with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Johnson, during a CNN appearance, addressed concerns that a CR could inadvertently "refund" programs Elon Musk has been seeking to slash. The Speaker responded by suggesting that while the CR would largely be clean, it could include adjustments to account for "new realities" of "less government" and "more efficiency."
This prospect of incorporating anomalies into the CR has further complicated the already fraught budgetary process. Representative Eli Crane of Arizona expressed strong reservations about a clean CR, stating he would have a "real hard time voting for" one after everything "that we’ve seen out of DOGE." Crane’s comments underscore the deep divisions within the Republican party regarding spending priorities and the role of DOGE in shaping fiscal policy.
Echoing concerns about the lack of permanent changes, Representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina questioned the purpose of DOGE if its recommendations were not solidified and incorporated into the CR. This highlights a broader debate within the party about the effectiveness of temporary measures versus long-term policy changes.
Meanwhile, Democrats are seizing upon the opportunity to exert leverage in the race to prevent a shutdown. They are reportedly demanding that Trump resume the cash flow, suggesting a willingness to negotiate but also a determination to secure their own priorities in any funding agreement.
A document obtained by CQ Roll Call, titled "FY 2025 FULL-YEAR CONTINUING RESOLUTION ASSUMPTIONS," provides a glimpse into the complexities of the ongoing negotiations. The document, reportedly circulated by the White House budget office, includes a list of proposed anomalies, some aimed at increasing spending and others at decreasing it.
One notable anomaly proposes providing an additional $3.654 billion to the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program in order to maintain current services for 2.3 million low-income families in 2025. The document warns that at the full-year CR level, approximately 230,000 households could lose assistance without the additional funding.
Conversely, another proposed anomaly seeks to rescind $20.2 billion from the Enforcement account of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) within the Department of the Treasury. This rescission would target funding enacted under the Inflation Reduction Act, a key legislative achievement for the Biden administration.
Adding to the complexities, recent mass layoffs at USAID have further fueled the debate over government spending and priorities. These layoffs, characterized by some former employees as illegal, have put a human face on the potential consequences of budget cuts and spending reductions.
The prospect of a government shutdown looms large, with House Republicans grappling with internal divisions and Democrats seeking to leverage the situation to advance their own policy goals. The endorsement of a CR by former President Trump provides a potential pathway to avert immediate crisis, but the path forward remains uncertain. The inclusion of anomalies in the CR, as suggested by Speaker Johnson, could further complicate the process, as it opens the door for contentious debates over specific spending priorities. As Congress continues to debate, the fate of government funding hangs in the balance, with significant implications for a wide range of federal programs and services.
