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Washington — On Saturday, House Republicans revealed a temporary funding measure intended to sustain government operations until September, paving the way for a vote next week that could prevent a government shutdown. However, with only a week remaining before the deadline, the measure’s prospects for passage are uncertain.
The 99-page continuing resolution (CR) proposed by the House includes a slight increase in defense spending and grants the Department of Defense more flexibility. Conversely, non-defense-related expenditures will see a reduction, although there is an added allocation of $6 billion aimed at enhancing veterans’ healthcare, according to information from House Republican leaders.
This measure does not encompass any additional funding, such as emergency financial support, disaster designations, or community project allocations.
The bill will be reviewed by the House Rules Committee on Monday, with a vote on the House floor anticipated for Tuesday.
As March 14 approaches—the deadline to secure government funding—House Republicans are pushing to maintain current spending levels for the subsequent six months. However, Democrats, who have frequently collaborated to ensure government continuity in recent years, appear less inclined to offer their support this time. Instead, House Speaker Mike Johnson is striving to garner backing from a faction of staunch Republican holdouts—those who oppose short-term funding solutions on principle.
Some of these hardline Republicans met with former President Trump at the White House on Wednesday. Following the encounter, Trump expressed on Truth Social that “Conservatives will love this Bill,” urging party members to advance the legislation.
Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican known for his opposition to continuing resolutions, conveyed to reporters that Trump recognizes the necessity of a continuing resolution to prevent Democrats from exploiting the situation.
Roy stated, “If you’re telling me, as a conservative, that you’re going to freeze spending for six months and manage the defense hawks, while also addressing waste, fraud, and abuse to better inform FY ’26, I’m on board with that.”
In his remarks, House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed confidence that the resolution would secure enough votes for approval, suggesting that he does not foresee significant opposition among his colleagues aside from Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
He acknowledged that “a few members might have lingering questions, as is common,” but emphasized that lawmakers would have time to review the bill’s text and address any uncertainties.
Johnson also articulated optimism regarding Democratic support for the stopgap measure, asserting that “the responsible approach is to ensure the government remains funded.” He added, “If it’s a clean CR with minimal necessary adjustments, I don’t see how they could reasonably oppose it.”
A vote on the proposed funding measure is expected imminently. However, House Democratic leaders articulated their opposition on Friday, labeling the partisan stopgap as detrimental due to its potential to decrease funding for crucial services such as healthcare, nutritional support, and veteran benefits for the remainder of the fiscal year.
In a statement to the Democratic caucus, they declared, “This is unacceptable. House Democrats would support a bill that safeguards Social Security, Medicare, veterans’ health, and Medicaid, but Republicans have prioritized their wealthy donors over the needs of everyday Americans… Medicaid is our redline.”
Democratic leadership plans to convene next week before the anticipated vote.
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