On Friday evening, the U.S. Senate successfully passed a stopgap spending bill, avoiding a partial government shutdown and overcoming Democratic opposition. The bill, which passed with a vote of 54-46, was met with much support after facing a difficult procedural hurdle that required at least 60 votes.
This victory comes after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives had passed the bill earlier this week in order to meet a critical March 14th deadline to keep the government running. However, the road to passing this bill was not without its challenges as Senate Democrats were divided on whether to support the short-term continuing resolution (CR).
The CR will fund the government for the next six months, reduce total government spending by approximately $7 billion from last year’s levels, and shift funds to the military while cutting non-defense spending. This decision was met with mixed reactions from Democrats, with some expressing anger towards the bill while others, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, understood that a shutdown would be a far worse option.
In fact, during a speech on Friday morning, Schumer emphasized the consequences of not passing the funding bill, stating that it would give more power to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, to decide which agencies would be shut down. He also added that a shutdown would allow DOGE to shift into overdrive, causing more chaos and disruption.
While many House Democrats had opposed the funding measure in the lower chamber, a group of them sent a letter to Schumer on Friday expressing their strong opposition to his plan to vote for the bill. Even former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Senate Democrats to go against their leader, stating that this legislation would only make matters worse.
However, despite the challenges and differing opinions within the Democratic party, Schumer stood by his decision and was praised by President Trump for doing the right thing. In a tweet on his Truth Social platform, Trump congratulated Schumer, stating that it took guts and courage to make this decision.
During a speech at the Department of Justice, Trump also commended Schumer, stating that he had great respect for what he did. He further added that Schumer had the courage to go out and support the Republicans because it was the right thing to do.
In order to pass the bill, Republicans needed to secure at least eight Democratic votes, as appropriations bills require a 60-vote threshold for passage in the Senate. The bill successfully cleared this procedural hurdle with a vote of 62-38.
Although several amendments to the bill failed, one that proposed eliminating funding for DOGE received the support of one Republican. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, who has been critical of Musk’s initiative, stood in support of this amendment.
Schumer had previously called for the Senate to pass an earlier version of the CR that involved Democrats in the negotiation process. He emphasized that funding the government should be a bipartisan effort, but Republicans chose to take a partisan path by drafting the CR without any input from congressional Democrats.
The House had passed the short-term spending measure on Tuesday with a vote of 217-213, with one Democrat voting for the bill and one Republican voting against it. The House then went out of session for the rest of the week, putting pressure on the Senate to pass its version of the CR.
Despite dissent within his own party, House Speaker Mike Johnson managed to quell any opposition and successfully pass the spending measure. In a press conference, he stated that the seven-month continuing resolution was a crucial step towards implementing Trump’s agenda of rooting out government waste and abuse through DOGE. He also added that this was a pivotal moment in Washington, with a seismic shift occurring in the size and scope of the federal government.
However, independent watchdogs and analysts have raised concerns that DOGE is using broad claims of fraud to garner support for significant cuts to federal programs and offices. Representative Thomas Massie was the lone Republican holdout, despite Trump’s post on Truth Social, calling for Massie to lose his seat if he voted against the spending measure.
The passage of this continuing resolution gives lawmakers more time to reach a compromise on the Senate and House versions of government spending for the next fiscal year, which begins in October. This is a crucial tool in implementing Trump’s domestic policy agenda. The main points of concern include how and when to enact a proposed extension of the 2017 tax cuts and how to pay down the U.S. deficit without cutting key safety net programs that help American voters.
In conclusion, the successful
