House Republicans rolled out a 99-page stopgap funding bill Saturday to keep the government running through September, teeing up a high-stakes vote next week with just days to spare before a March 14 shutdown deadline.
The continuing resolution (CR) tweaks spending—boosting defense while trimming non-defense areas and adding $6 billion for veterans’ health—but its path to passage remains rocky as Democrats dig in and GOP hardliners waver.
The bill, unveiled after months of partisan wrangling, avoids new emergency spending or disaster relief, a nod to fiscal conservatives. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) hailed it as a pragmatic fix, telling reporters Thursday, “The responsible thing is to keep the government funded.”
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He predicted smooth sailing in his razor-thin majority, expecting only Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to defect. “There’s a couple of people who have remaining questions, as always,” Johnson said, confident that releasing the text would sway skeptics by Tuesday’s planned floor vote.
The CR lands amid a standoff. Facing a deadline next Friday, Republicans aim to lock in current spending levels for six months, giving the Department of Defense modest flexibility and a slight uptick in funds, while non-defense programs take a hit—offset partly by the veterans’ boost.
“You’re telling me as a conservative, you’re going to freeze spending for six months, hold the defense hawks at bay, and keep getting DOGE transparency … I’m good with that,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), a frequent CR critic, told reporters Thursday, signaling a thaw among hardliners after meeting President Donald Trump Wednesday.
Trump, who blessed the plan on Truth Social, wrote, “Conservatives will love this Bill,” urging GOP unity to “stop Democrats from playing games.”
The White House powwow swayed some of Roy’s Freedom Caucus allies, who often scorn stopgaps as bloated relics. Johnson’s pitch leans on the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—helmed by Elon Musk —to expose “waste, fraud, and abuse” for fiscal year 2026 cuts, a carrot for the right.
But Democrats aren’t biting. House Democratic leaders fired off a Friday letter to their caucus, slamming the “partisan” CR for threatening “healthcare, nutritional assistance, and veterans’ benefits.”
They accused Republicans of slashing Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans’ care to fund “massive tax cuts for their wealthy donors like Elon Musk.” “Medicaid is our redline,” they declared, vowing to huddle next week before Tuesday’s vote. “We cannot back a measure that rips away life-sustaining benefits from everyday Americans.” Trump and GOP lawmakers have stated many times that he has no plans to touch Social Security or Medicare.
The bill heads to the House Rules Committee Monday, with a floor showdown Tuesday. Johnson’s optimism hinges on near-unanimous GOP support—tough with a 218-215 edge—and some Democratic crossover.
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“If it’s a clean CR with minimal anomalies that are necessary, I don’t know how they have an argument to vote against it,” he said. Yet, with Democrats framing it as a billionaire bailout, and no extra disaster aid—a sore point after 2024’s hurricanes—the CR’s fate hangs on a knife’s edge.
Roy sees a silver lining: six months to spotlight DOGE’s findings and shape next year’s budget. But with Massie a firm “no” and Democrats poised to bolt, Johnson’s playbook faces its stiffest test yet. A shutdown looms if he can’t thread the needle—again.
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