US House Republicans unveiled a spending bill on Saturday that would keep federal agencies funded through September 30, pushing ahead with a go-it-alone strategy that seems certain to spark a major confrontation with Democrats over the contours of government spending.
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The 99-page bill would provide a slight boost to defence programmes while trimming non-defence programmes below 2024 budget year levels. That approach is likely to be a non-starter for most Democrats who have long insisted that defence and non-defence spending move in the same direction.
Congress must act by midnight on Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson is teeing up the bill for a vote on Tuesday despite the lack of buy-in from Democrats, essentially daring them to vote against it and risk a shutdown. He also is betting that Republicans can muscle the legislation through the House largely by themselves.
Normally, when it comes to keeping the government fully open for business, Republicans have had to work with Democrats to craft a bipartisan measure that both sides can support. That’s because Republicans almost always lack the votes to pass spending bills on their own.
Crucially, the strategy has the backing of US President Donald Trump, who has shown an ability so far in his term to hold Republicans in line.