Republican lawmakers are pushing President Trump to support a straightforward, short-term funding resolution without attaching contentious MAGA priorities that might cause government shutdowns.
On Capitol Hill, Republicans are preparing for the specific requirements that Trump, along with management and budget director Russell Vaught, may expect from both parties as they engage with Congressional negotiators.
They’ve communicated to Trump and the White House their desire for the funding bill to be as simple as possible. The aim is to raise the likelihood of avoiding a shutdown, especially as the GOP looks ahead to next year’s midterm elections.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed on Monday that it’s sensible for the White House to keep demands minimal in these funding discussions. “If you want to extend things and attempt to follow the normal spending process, we should keep it as clean as possible,” he stated.
Thune remarked that he hopes House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Cole will push forward uncomplicated funding measures without entanglements. “I hope the findings from this will be fairly straightforward. There are always some irregularities in these resolutions, but reducing them is essential to facilitating a funding process,” he added.
According to Republican aides, Thune’s perspective on needing a clean funding measure is widely shared among his colleagues and some Democrats.
Senator Tom Tillis noted that the White House needs to be clear on what’s necessary to get the continuing resolution passed in the Senate. He emphasized that Thune is well-positioned to gauge what can garner 60 votes, urging attention to his insights.
“We always seek a clean continuing resolution,” added Senator Shelley Moore Capito, a senior member of the Senate Budget Committee.
Some within the Republican Party believe their message has reached Trump’s advisors, with signals that the White House Budget Office may reconsider its $5 billion ask, which is less than initially anticipated.
There are now questions about whether the White House will meet expectations regarding a retirement package that would restore a significant portion of already approved education funding.
Democrats have cautioned that if the ongoing resolution is structured in a way that allows for flexibility to cut federal accounts or divert funding from approved priorities, it could hinder negotiations.
“Is Vaught dismissing everything regarding the CR? A real bipartisan agreement is the only way to proceed,” remarked Senator Mark Warner.
Senator Patty Murray, the Democratic vice-chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, mentioned that Trump and Vaught have blocked over $410 billion in funds that Congress already allocated.
“Funding agreements need to reflect Democratic priorities, and a spending bill must be passed to ensure accountability among lawmakers,” she added.
The House will take the lead on the ongoing resolution, with Speaker Mike Johnson expected to present a proposal soon, especially since Congress will observe Rosh Hashana during the week of September 22nd.
This week, Johnson indicated that there were “many intense discussions” regarding the structure and scope of the funding proposal.
Despite the ongoing conflict between Republicans and Democrats, Johnson expressed optimism about reaching a consensus by Monday afternoon, acknowledging the pressure of impending deadlines.
“A lot of ideas are on the table. People are earnestly debating. I’m confident we’ll have everything sorted out on time,” he remarked.
Senior budgeter Capito informed reporters that Congress is likely to pass stopgap funding measures on September 29 or 30, after returning from a week-long break for Rosh Hashana.
Johnson and Thune plan to advance a continuing resolution through a standard legislative order, starting from the House Budget Committee and moving to the House floor before it goes to the Senate.
Both Republican leaders have dismissed requests from Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, preferring to negotiate directly among top leaders from both chambers.
Thune stressed that he doesn’t want to conduct negotiations behind closed doors, delegating the details to Senate Budget Committee Chair Susan Collins and Cole.
However, he admitted last week that the White House plays a significant role in shaping the course of negotiations.
Collins maintains a good rapport with Murray, and they frequently communicate about the funding processes.
Both Collins and Murray aim to include ongoing resolution funding for various government departments, in conjunction with three Senate budget bills related to military construction, veterans affairs, agriculture, and legislative sectors.
Schumer warned that Congress is quickly running out of time to prevent a shutdown. “There are less than 20 calendar days left before funding runs out. Without action, a closure will occur. The ball is in our Republican colleagues’ court,” he stated.
