The Republican majority in the House will introduce a spending proposal tomorrow to maintain current funding for federal agencies until September, when the fiscal year expires. The postponement is proposed with another “Continuing Resolution” to avoid the shutdown of the federal government’s activities, whose funds run out at the end of this week.
In the proposal prepared by the GOP, there is $13 billion in domestic spending cuts and a $6 billion increase in military spending. In the House, the quorum to pass a bill is 217 votes, and Republicans have a majority of 218 to 214, so they can afford to lose only one vote in the face of compact opposition from Democrats.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has already said he relies only on his party’s votes to pass his proposal, but not all Republicans are on board. Moreover, this new “Continuing Resolution” was prepared behind closed doors, without the participation of Democrats.
Should the proposal pass in the House, where a simple majority is required, 60 votes will then be needed in the Senate for a qualified majority to avoid a filibuster, although the chances of Republicans finding seven members of the opposition in that body to meet the threshold appears unlikely.
Democrats have already criticized the current resolution, both for being excluded from negotiations, and on the substance, such the increase in military spending and reduction in non-defense funds. They have demanded protections from attempts by President Donald Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk to cut or freeze spending. In addition, the tug-of-war between the president and the legislative branch is aggravated by the decisions the White House chief has made canceling appropriations already voted on and approved by Congress. “What do we vote if then the president grabs the power to decide who he gives or doesn’t give the funds we approved?” House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said rhetorically.
Democrats made the rounds on Sunday talk shows to highlight the crisis brought on by Trump’s unilateral and likely illegal actions so far. “Trump alone has decided how to spend the money, even when Congress has already voted on the budget. It’s a constitutional issue, right?” Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin told Meet the Press. “Everyone knows that Congress has the power to manage finances.”
Hakeem Jeffries wants the party to show unity in this confrontation, even though refusal will expose Democrats to accusations that they played a role in the government shutdown.
Donald Trump states that “there could be a shutdown.” Responding to reporters’ questions on Air Force One as he flew back to Washington from Florida, the president said that “the Democrats want it because they want to destroy the country.” During Joe Biden’s presidency, Trump repeatedly pressured Republicans not to mediate with the incumbent administration over the budget, then blamed the shutdown on Biden.
Fifty days after his inauguration, Americans have begun to question whether sending Trump back to the White House was the right decision. The promise of a golden age made on the day of his inauguration is colliding with reality: the flurry of public sector layoffs, the plunging stock market, and the high cost of living, which has soared again since his election, are causing many to change their minds about his performance. It is still very early to provide a judgment, but polls are beginning to show that the honeymoon with his constituents is not as rosy as he claims.
While his approval rating has remained about the same, his overall job approval rate has plummeted 8 points since February, from 86 percent last month to 78 percent this month. His approval rate has also dropped in the southern suburbs, from 58 percent in February to 46 percent today. A Siena College poll flunks the president for his handling the Ukrainian situation with 51 percent of respondents disapproving of his actions. It also rejected the way he would like to engage in negotiations for a Middle East peace agreement. The idea of acquiring ownership of Gaza and turning it into a Riviera is supported by only 15% and rejected by 58%. Fewer (11%) still support the idea of Canada as the 51st state (68% are against it). But the negative trend also prevails on if the president is unifying Americans (41% agree, 53% do not), strengthening the reputation of Americans in the world (40% to 54%), making the federal government more efficient (46% to 50%), and trying to reduce the cost of living (43% to 53%).
