Government Funding Secured Until September 30 as Democrats Weigh Opposition Strategy
A government shutdown is avoided again at the last minute, as Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) that will keep the government functioning through the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
The 99-age spending bill does not exactly keep the status quo from FY 24 levels. It includes a $6 billion increase in military spending and a $13 billion cut in domestic nondefense spending.
President Trump signed the CR on Saturday, after it narrowly passed the Senate Friday, after earlier clearing the House on a party line vote.
In the final vote, one Democrat (Senator Jeanne Shaheen-NH) and one independent (Senator Angus King- ME) joined all but one Republican in supporting the measure, as it passed the Senate 54-46.
Earlier, ten Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, voted to advance the bill to a final vote. The bill was crafted without any input from Democrats.
Senator Schumer, who received significant blowback from Democrats for his decision to vote to advance the legislation said, “Clearly, this is a Hobson’s choice; the CR is a bad bill. But as bad as the CR is, I believe allowing Donald Trump to take even much more power via a government shutdown is a far worse option.”
But other Democrats believed a shutdown was the best way to exert leverage over President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is eliminating federal jobs and trying to shutter certain agencies.
Turning the Page
Regardless, some Democratic leaders like Representative Debbie Dingell (MI), chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), say it’s time for Democrats to learn from their mistakes.
“We got to move on. Reconciliation is coming up. We have got to be united as Democrats in making sure reconciliation- and we protect people from having their health care cut, Medicaid cut, Social Security cut, or Medicare cut in any way, shape or form,” said Representative Dingell on CBS’s Face the Nation.
On the Congressional to-do list now is that reconciliation process for the upcoming FY 2026 budget and to get a deal before the September 30 deadline.
Also on the president’s wish list is an extension and expansion of his 2017 tax cut package. While Republicans have the numbers to get it through, some members are concerned about the budget impacts of eliminating taxes on tipped wages, Social Security, and overtime pay.
