Despite President Donald Trump urging Republicans to unite behind a continuing resolution spending proposal to keep the government open, some GOP lawmakers expressed skepticism Sunday, while Democrats are resolutely opposed.
Congress faces a Friday deadline to pass a continuing resolution and avert a partial government shutdown. Despite some hesitation, no Republican lawmakers have outright opposed the bill. Democrats, meanwhile, seem uniformly opposed.
“I believe we won’t shut the government down come Friday, but the CR is terrible on defense and the border,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on Fox News Sunday. “I want a commitment that we’re going to have more money for the border and defense before I vote for the CR. But I think we’ll keep the government funded.”
House Republican leaders say the proposal cuts overall spending from 2024 levels, has no earmarks, boosts defense funding, and fully funds veterans’ healthcare. If approved, the bill would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. The House is expected to vote Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. said last week on Fox News.
The 99-page bill allocates $892.5 billion for discretionary defense spending and $708 billion for non-defense discretionary spending—$13 billion less than last year, according to the Associated Press.
“Like most bills, there is some good in there, there is some not good in there. We’ve got to make an aggregate decision,” Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., said on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday. He added, “Right now, the Republicans are counting on all the Republicans in the House to stick together to pass this through the House with no Democratic votes. Then it goes to the Senate. You need 60 votes. You don’t have 60 votes with the Senate Republicans.”
Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y. said on the same show, “Right now, I’m a no.”
“There has been no outreach on a bipartisan basis,” Suozzi said. He later added, “The leadership is going to be my way or the highway for a while. At some point, they are going to need Democratic votes, and then people will start negotiating.”
Trump voiced support for the spending proposal in a Truth Social post on Saturday.
“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,” the president said in the post. “Democrats will do anything they can to shut down our Government, and we can’t let that happen. We have to remain UNITED — NO DISSENT — Fight for another day when the timing is right. VERY IMPORTANT. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
During a Fox & Friends Sunday interview, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said a government shutdown “would be a gift to the Democrats” and would shut down the momentum that Trump and Republicans have built over the last seven weeks.
The Republican spending legislation includes an increase of more than $500 million for the Women Infants and Children program, or WIC, for a total of $7.6 billion. It also includes what Republicans are touting as the largest pay raise for junior enlisted military troops in more than 40 years. It further fully funds veterans healthcare services and benefits.
“Democrats have a choice to join us or display their true intentions. Should they choose to vote to shut the government for negotiation leverage and their contempt of President Trump, they are readying to hurt hundreds of millions more,” House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said in a public statement Saturday. “It’s a battle they lost in November, and one the people will continue to see through. Our good-faith efforts provide an immediate solution to the deadline before us.”
The White House’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative, led by Elon Musk, has advocated spending cuts that align with its mission to reduce government waste, and has reported $55 billion in savings from contract cancellations and workforce reductions.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, is using Musk and DOGE as a reason to oppose the continuing resolution.
“I strongly oppose this full-year continuing resolution, which is a power grab for the White House and further allows unchecked billionaire Elon Musk and President Trump to steal from the American people,” DeLauro’s post said.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told One America News that he didn’t think Democrats would shut down the government to stop DOGE, pointing to discoveries of duplicate social security numbers and a $32,000 transgender comic book to Peru.
“Our job is to keep the lights on to allow them to expose this to the American people because we are winning minds and hearts,” Roy said.
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