Senate Passes Legislation to Avert Government Shutdown
In a decisive move, Senate Republicans led the passage of legislation that successfully averts a government shutdown. Nine Democrats joined forces to prevent a filibuster, despite strong opposition from other party members. With the bill’s passage, Republicans are now able to shift their focus towards expansive border and tax cut legislation.
The Senate voted on Friday to avert a government shutdown mere hours before it was set to occur, forwarding legislation to President Donald Trump that would significantly reduce non-defense spending while increasing the Pentagon’s budget. The final vote stood at 54 to 46, with only one Democratic senator, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire, voting with nearly all Republicans in favor of the bill. Also backing the bill was Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with the Democrats. Notably, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, a member of the Republican Party, opposed the funding legislation.
Breaking the Filibuster
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced his support for allowing the bill to progress on Thursday night, effectively breaking the filibuster and overcoming the 60-vote threshold. Nine Democrats, along with King, joined almost all Republicans in moving the bill toward its final vote requiring only a simple majority.
In an effort to garner Democratic support, Senate Majority Leader John Thune permitted votes on three amendments to the funding bill proposed by Democrats, all of which ultimately failed. This included a measure from Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, aimed at shuttering the White House DOGE office, overseen by Elon Musk.
Bipartisan Fix and Implications
Following the passage of the government funding bill, senators are expected to tackle a bipartisan fix for a provision that mandated Washington, D.C., to cut $1 billion from its budget. For this fix to be enacted, it must also pass through the House once they reconvene.
If Congress had failed to approve new funding, a government shutdown would have commenced in the early hours of Saturday morning. This legislation represents a significant win for Trump, who is poised to sign it, and for House Speaker Mike Johnson. Johnson’s strategy of pushing the bill through the House on a near-party line vote and then sending lawmakers home challenged Schumer and the Democrats to either back the legislation or allow a government shutdown to unfold.
Trump took to Truth Social on Friday morning, congratulating Schumer for his decision to support the bill, remarking, “Took ‘guts’ and courage! The big Tax Cuts, L.A. fire fix, Debt Ceiling Bill, and so much more, is coming.”
Dissent Among Democrats
Conversely, many Democrats expressed their outrage towards Schumer for facilitating the bill’s advancement, viewing it as a nod to the DOGE office and Musk. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies, along with his deputies, issued a joint statement condemning the Republican agenda: “Donald Trump and Republicans are crashing the economy. They plan to take a chainsaw to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans benefits, and public schools—all to provide enormous tax cuts to their billionaire donors and wealthy corporations. House Democrats will not be complicit.”
Schumer expressed concerns about the implications of a government shutdown, suggesting it would further empower Musk and Trump, noting that there appeared to be no clear resolution to a potential prolonged standoff.
The legislation not only includes a $6 billion increase in defense spending but also enhances funding for nutrition assistance programs for women, infants, and children (WIC) by $500 million. However, it simultaneously enacts a $13 billion cut to overall non-defense spending compared to last year’s budget, leading to warnings from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser regarding the drastic $1 billion budget cut facing the nation’s capital.
Progressive Pushback
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and other progressives have urged Democrats to oppose the GOP-led funding bill, highlighting concerns over its failure to address the DOGE office. Several key Senate Democrats, including Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, were resistant to Schumer’s push, with Murray calling the legislation a “vote to turn YOUR taxpayer dollars into Trump & Elon’s personal slush funds.”
Future Legislative Challenges
The approved bill extends government funding until September 30, alleviating immediate concerns over a shutdown and allowing Trump and Republicans to concentrate on their ongoing negotiations regarding sweeping border security and tax legislation. Johnson has committed to sending Trump a legislative deal by Easter, posing an ambitious deadline necessitating prompt bipartisan agreement.
Moreover, Congress faces another looming fiscal deadline as they prepare to address raising the debt ceiling in the upcoming months, with potential discussions starting as early as this spring.
