Shutdown clocks are ticking down Capitol Hill as lawmakers seek to fund the government by the looming March 14th deadline.
“We work hard to fulfill our responsibility to keep the government open,” speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said on NBC's “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
Scramble to Keep Washington's Lights – Though it is expected to recover urgently this week, President Trump is set to give his first major speech before Congress.
The president's speech is scheduled to begin Tuesday at around 9pm.
The Senate side is poised to make sure Linda McMahon is the next Secretary of Education, just as Trump is about to dismantle the department. And the Senate will vote for a law that sought to prohibit trans athletes from participating in female and female sports.
Competition to fund governments
Capitol Hill's biggest focus this week is to avoid closures as lawmakers compete for clocks to fund the government and maintain the lights in Washington before the March 14 deadline.
Plans to achieve that goal remain unknown.
When he appeared on NBC's “Meet the Press” on Sunday, Johnson said he wanted to pass a clean, continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government until the end of September.
Comments from speakers reflect the reality of the situation. With no time left before the deadline, lawmakers should consider moving stop-gaps rather than the 12 spending bills normally used to fund the government. Republicans have a slim majority in the House and CR must be bipartisan, as the Senate GOP meeting requires at least 60 votes to clear such measures in the Senate.
However, the speaker said Democrats “showed up to this point that they were not interested in finding a reasonable solution to that,” continuing the partisans that have been plaguing government funding for weeks. “Democrats need to help negotiate this,” Johnson said.
Democrats have sought guarantees under government funding laws that Trump will properly direct the funds allocated by Congress.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.) refused to characterize Johnson's current situation. In a statement later that day on Sunday, Democrat leaders accused Republicans of walking away from government fundraising talks.
“Hospital Democrats are committed to funding the government in ways that promote the economic wellbeing, health and safety of everyday Americans,” Jeffries said. “Rosa Delauro, a top Democrat on the Approximate Budget Committee, is ready and willing to talk to his Republican colleagues, but outreach from the Trump administration and House Republicans has left the negotiation table.”
“Unfortunately, Republicans who control the House, Senate and presidency seem determined to shut down governments once again and hurt Americans every day,” he added.
Apart from Democrats, Johnson faces fever from some Republicans, with at least two members expressing concern that they will pass the CR at this point.
“I'm no to CR. Congress needs to do its job and pass on a conservative budget! CR is a code of ongoing rubber stamps of fraud, waste and abuse,” says Rep. Tony Gonzalez (R-Texas).I wrote it on xSunday morning.
Rep. Don Bacon (r-neb.)Discussed about xThe CR is the idea that the Defence Hawks have raised in the past that “it's bad for our military and weakens national security.”
“CR means that new weapons programs cannot be launched. A year-long CR means that we are not serious about building troops that will stop China, Russia and Iran,” he added.
Johnson's idea of a clean annual CR could face opposition from several hard-line conservatives who are seeking cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is overseen by Elon Musk, to be included in the final government funding bill.
Johnson on Sunday suggested that Congress would try to codify those slashes next year.
“The exciting thing is FY26, which is budgeting. You can actually change the way this is done and incorporate all the extraordinary savings that Doge reveals through fraud, waste and abuse. I'm extremely excited to get to that point.”
Trump to address Congress
Trump is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, marking his first major speech since being sworn into his second term in January
Johnson invited Trump to join him shortly after his inauguration day, offering the president the opportunity to “share America's first vision for our legislative future.”
This year's speech, scheduled to begin at the home's chamber of commerce around 9pm, will be held in a split moment in Washington: two parties and within the GOP.
The speech comes days after a controversial meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky in the oval office, spurring criticism from Democrats and some Republicans.
Moreover, Democrats are still armed with arms surrounding the actions Doge took to significantly reduce the size and scope of the federal government, particularly as some Republicans push to include those slashes in future government funding bills.
And within the GOP, Republicans are still at odds over how to advance Trump's legislative agenda. After both Chambers adopted budget resolutions last month, leaders are still working to coordinate the two strategies and set a pathway to enact border funding, energy policy and tax cuts. Also, there are some discrepancies remaining regarding details of the final Trump Agenda Act, including the depth of spending cuts and whether debt restrictions should be increased.
When he appeared on Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures, Johnson said during his speech Tuesday he predicted “fireworks in a great way.”
“President Trump came and returned to Congress to address us again as president. And in the first month of his appointment, he achieved so much that he could fill in three hours. I think he'll talk in a shorter time frame than that. But Maria, there's a lot to relay,” Johnson said.
The Senate is poised to confirm Trump's Secretary of Education
This week the Senate will consider Linda McMahon's appointment to become Secretary of Education. This is because the upper chamber continues to stir through the card's cabinet pick.
The Senate is scheduled to vote for McMahon confirmation Monday evening. Her nominations advanced last week with a party line of 51-47 votes.
McMahon's confirmation provides interesting dynamics as Trump is planning to run the division he said he wanted to do. The plan the candidate said she agreed.
“President Trump believes that Washington's bureaucracy should be abolished and education should be abolished. “I sincerely support him and agree to this mission.”
Aside from the imminent confirmation of McMahon, there will probably be plenty of chatter about former MP Lori Chavez Deremar (R-ore.) appointed as the Secretary of Labor this week. Chavez-Deremer moved the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee 13-9 votes forward, 13-9 votes after three Democrats threw their support behind her.
Officer Maggie Hassan (DN.H.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Tim Kane (D-Va.) voted for Chavez Deremar, giving her the necessary support to leave the committee despite voting against her. Chavez Deremar was scrutinized for Republicans' support of previous professional acts.
It remains unclear when Chavez Deremar's nomination will arrive on the floor for the final confirmation vote.
Senate votes for the Transgender Athlete Building
This week, the Senate will consider protecting women and girls in the sports law that prohibits transgender athletes from participating in girls and women's sports.
The Chamber of Commerce will hold a procedural vote for the measures Monday night and begin the process.
Senate consideration comes almost two months after the House approved the law, largely with the party, with 218-206 votes. Two Democrats voted “Yes” for all Republicans, and one Democrat voted “Current.”
It remains unclear whether the measure will reach 60 votes and will attract sufficient democratic support to pass the Senate. But if that were the case, it would go to Trump's desk and probably sign the law.
In addition to preventing transgender athletes from playing on girls and women's sports teams, the law instructs the Department of Justice to take immediate action against schools and athletic groups that allow transgender students to play on sports teams in their gender identity.
It also aims to amend Title IX to prohibit transgender students from participating in athletic events “specified for women or girls.”
The consideration of the measure comes after Republicans resorted to trans rights issues in their campaign trajectory. For example, “Kamara is for them/they.
“As the father of two female athletes, I know that young women deserve an equal playing field when they compete in sports. I look forward to bringing the protection of women and girls to the floor, Senate majority leader John Tune (Rs.D.), @Sentuberville's sports.I wrote it on xlast week.
