By David Morgan and Nolan D. McCaskill
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republicans who control the U.S. Congress will try on Friday to pass a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown that would otherwise begin October 1, over the objections of Democrats who are pushing their own funding legislation.
The bill, known as a continuing resolution or CR, would keep federal agencies operating at current levels through November 21, while providing $88 million to protect members of Congress, the executive branch and the Supreme Court from the threat of political violence in the aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
But the task of getting the legislation through Congress and onto Republican President Donald Trump’s desk before current funding runs out at midnight on September 30 has become a political obstacle course. Republican congressional leaders need their fractious 219-213 House majority to show unity in the face of monolithic opposition from Democrats, and then win support from at least seven Democrats to secure passage in the U.S. Senate.
“It’s always down to the wire here, because we have one of the smallest margins in U.S. history,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, who can afford to lose no more than two Republican votes if all Democrats vote no, told Fox News. “But I think at the end of the day, we’ll do the right thing, keep the government open.”
The White House has officially backed the measure. But multiple Republicans have signaled opposition this week, including Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado who told Reuters on Thursday: “I’m not a ‘yes’ yet. We’ll see.” She declined to say why she could withhold support.
“Every House Republican should UNIFY, and VOTE YES!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Thursday. House Republicans have so far not rejected any significant Trump request.
Republicans insist the CR is “clean,” meaning free of political policy riders that could discourage bipartisan support. But Democrats claim the stopgap represents partisan Republican legislation and are expected to offer uniform opposition in favor of their own legislation, which would fund federal agencies through October 31, permanently extend healthcare tax credits under the Affordable Care Act and restore Medicaid spending cut by Trump’s tax cut legislation.
The annual funding debate covers only about one-quarter of the federal government’s $7 trillion budget, which also includes mandatory programs such as Social Security and Medicare, as well as payments on the nation’s $37.5 trillion debt.
If the CR succeeds in the House, it will go on to the Senate later on Friday where Republicans will need 60 votes to pass it but hold only a 53-47 seat majority.
The Senate will first vote on a measure introduced by Democrats. If that fails, the chamber would then vote on the House version.
(Reporting by Nolan D. McCaskill and David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell)
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