Backdrop for Trump's speech to Congress is a potential government shutdown
A potential government shutdown looms large as President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night -- where he’s sure to face a divided audience following his sustained effort to slash the U.S. bureaucracy.
Top congressional leaders have not yet struck a deal to keep the lights on in the nation’s capital ahead of the March 14 deadline to fund the federal government -- and time is running short.
As Democrats look to defend civil servants from mass firings, its leaders have pushed for language to be inserted in a government funding bill to ensure the Trump administration properly directs funds appropriated by Congress, an effort to push back against Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency efforts.
But Republicans have made clear they won’t accept those demands -- calling them unprecedented.
To illustrate the gargantuan gulf between them, many Democrats are bringing recently fired federal workers to attend Trump’s address to showcase the impact of Musk’s slashing of federal agencies.
Of his five guests, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., invited two fired federal workers, including a USAID worker and a disabled Army veteran.
Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona invited Kyle Rahn, a disabled Army veteran who served three tours in Iraq before working at the Department of Homeland Security, from which he was fired last month.
Democratic Rep. Brad Schneider of Illinois invited Adam Mulvey, a 20-year Army veteran who served several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was fired from his role at Lovell Federal Health Care Center in Spring Grove, Illinois, on Feb. 13.
House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested that DOGE cuts should be part of fiscal 2026 government funding negotiations -- kicking the proverbial can to another year.
But the speaker said the GOP-controlled House is eyeing a short-term clean government funding bill that would extend current spending levels through the end of September 2025, but the specifics of his strategy remain unclear.
A short-term measure would “make sure that the government can stay open while we begin to incorporate all these savings that we're finding through the DOGE effort and these other sources of revenue that President Trump's policies are -- bringing to the table,” Johnson argued on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.
Trump endorsed this plan last week, calling for a clean continuing resolution -- even as hardline Republicans pressure Johnson not to band together again on a bipartisan bill with Democrats, who aren't inclined to help Trump with anything.
Some Republicans have already raised concerns, including Texas GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales, who says he is a no vote on any continuing resolution.
“I am a NO on the CR. Congress needs to do its job and pass a conservative budget! CR’s are code for Continued Rubberstamp of fraud, waste, and abuse,” Gonzales posted on X.
Nebraska moderate GOP Rep. Don Bacon raised concern about a clean measure since military funding would be held flat.
“A continuing resolution (CR) is bad for our military and weakens our national security. A CR means new weapons programs cannot get started. A year-long CR means we are not serious about building a military that will deter China, Russia and Iran,” Bacon said on X.
Johnson can only afford to lose one Republican if all members are present and vote and will almost certainly need to rely on Democratic votes to avert a shutdown. Thirty-four Republicans voted against the current 3-month funding measure Dec. 21 that’s set to expire in less than two weeks, illustrating the need for bipartisanship on the brink of a shutdown.
Meanwhile, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Republicans of walking away from negotiations -- rejecting the speaker’s characterization of the situation.
“House Democrats are committed to funding the government in a manner that promotes the economic well-being, health and safety of everyday Americans,” Jeffries said in a statement Sunday.
