House Republicans revealed a Trump-approved spending bill on March 8 that lays out a plan to keep the federal government and its agencies funded through the end of the fiscal year.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) wants his chamber to vote on the 100-page continuing resolution (CR) on March 11, while Democrats, led by Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) already stand in opposition.
Congress has until midnight on March 14 to avoid a partial government shutdown.
“Democrats will do anything they can to shut down our Government, and we can’t let that happen. We have to remain UNITED — NO DISSENT — Fight for another day when the timing is right. VERY IMPORTANT. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
According to House Republican leadership staff on a March 8 background call, the CR would allow for $892.5 billion in defense spending and about $708 billion for nondefense spending. This is a slight increase in defense allocations and an approximately 8 percent drop in nondefense spending compared to last year.
Staff also said that the CR did not include side agreements such as raising the debt ceiling or cushioning certain nondefense programs. Funding requests for thousands of community projects made by individual lawmakers, known as earmarks, also appear to have been excluded.
Programs such as Social Security and Medicare are not covered by this legislation.
At the same time, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, is working to identify and advise on ways to eliminate spending viewed as wasteful and potentially fraudulent.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) said that he is on board with Johnson’s plan despite having never voted for a CR previously. He credited his faith in DOGE and Trump to handle the national debt.
“I don’t like CRs,” Norman said. “But what’s the alternative? Negotiate with Democrats? No.”
Many Democrats have voiced their opposition against the bill, specifically warning against the lack of protection it leaves programs from the possibility of facing a DOGE-related funding cut.
“We cannot stand by and accept a yearlong power grab CR that would help Elon take a chainsaw to programs that families rely on and agencies that keep our communities safe,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the lead Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Jeffries on March 6 announced his party’s opposition, stating that if Republicans took this approach, they would have to do it alone.
Republicans hold a 218–214 majority in the House. The current margin allows one House Republican defector in order for the bill to pass, assuming all House Democrats decide to vote no. Jeffries said House Democrats will have a conversation on the morning of March 11 before reconvening in the Capitol.
“We consistently made clear that top-line numbers were agreed upon in a manner consistent with the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act that Republicans in the House themselves negotiated and supported,” said Jeffries, referring to the 2023 legislation that lifted the debt ceiling and included top-line government funding numbers.
Democrats in both the House and Senate blamed Republican dissent for funding issues in December 2024, and Johnson posted clips of his colleagues’ remarks on social media platform X.
The CR will fund the government until midnight Sept, 30.
Johnson said for fiscal 2026, “You’re going to see a very different process and a lot more efficient and effective spending for the people.”
