House Democrats rallied overwhelmingly against a second assault on the government funding bill by Republicans, arguing that it would let the bill die on the House floor and force Republican leaders to return to the table to negotiate a bipartisan compromise. There is.
Gathered behind closed doors in the basement of the parliament building, party leaders spelled out their opposition to the bill and urged the military to vote against it.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said the Republican bill was “ridiculous” and foreshadowed the message coming.
Any doubts about the resonant message were drowned out by the loud cries of “No way!” that could be heard down the hallway outside the conference room.
“You heard the two-word position,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said afterward.
“We're all there,” echoed Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.).
The vote is scheduled for after 6 p.m. Thursday, and a fast-track procedure known as the Suspension Calendar would apply, requiring two-thirds of the House of Representatives to pass the bill. Democratic opposition means Republican leaders will fall well short of that hurdle, leaving Republicans with no choice but to either try to pass the bill in the Rules Committee, where hardline conservatives could sink the bill, or plan C. They will be forced to either support the bill or abandon it.
President Trump this week voiced opposition to the last bipartisan funding plan the two sides agreed to, stalling Congress, while making a last-minute call for Republicans to include language addressing the nation's borrowing cap.
“I will 'fight to the end' unless Democrats end or significantly extend the debt ceiling now,” he said in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday. He also warned that Republican lawmakers who support a stopgap funding bill without a debt ceiling provision will face major challenges.
Lawmakers are expected to work next summer to raise the debt ceiling, which limits how much the Treasury can borrow to cover the nation's bills.
“The debt ceiling is justified, but it needs to be decided and debated in a separate forum,” said Rep. Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the powerful Tax, Legislation and Revenue Committee.
“While I've been here, this issue has been agitated by both sides, and I think it's worth having a conversation. But it didn't happen with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning,” Neal said.
The debt ceiling has previously been used as an important lever by parties out of power, which could demand significant concessions in exchange for agreeing to raise the debt ceiling. And Republicans have successfully used the challenge of acting on the debt ceiling to win concessions from Democrats in the past, most recently last year.
Congress now has until Friday to pass a bill that would keep the government funded or risk a government shutdown.
Democrats are asking Republicans to support the nearly 1,500 pages of policies they have agreed to so far to keep the government funded. The package includes about $110 billion in disaster relief and economic support for farmers, as well as a sweeping bipartisan health care deal. Jefferies earlier Thursday opened the door to a slimming package without suspending the debt ceiling.
The new 116-page plan released by Republicans includes a two-year suspension of the debt ceiling and billions of dollars in disaster relief and economic aid, but also changes how pharmacy benefit managers operate. Reforms have been removed and some health insurance extensions are being chipped away. Programs included in previous packages.
It would also cut other bipartisan provisions cited by Trump allies that would eliminate a yearlong pay freeze for members of Congress and transfer jurisdiction over RFK Stadium to the District of Columbia.
President Trump said Thursday night that the bill would “keep government functioning, provide funding for our great farmers and others, and provide relief to those severely impacted by devastating hurricanes.” Both parties are urged to vote in favor of the bill.
“We've also added a very important item, an essential part of the America First Agenda. The very unnecessary debt ceiling deadline has been extended by two years to January 30, 2027,” Trump said. “Now we can quickly make America great again. This is what the people gave us the mission to accomplish.”
