House Speaker Mike Johnson on Saturday unveiled a short-term funding bill that would keep federal agencies funded through September and fend off the looming government shutdown.
The 99-page ‘‘Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025’’ includes plans for higher spending for defense programming, but would slash nondefense funding.
Johnson’s measure would allow for about $892.5 billion in defense spending and about $708 billion in nondefense spending. The defense spending is slightly above the prior year’s level, but the nondefense comes in about 8% below.
The bill does not include funding requested by individual lawmakers for thousands of community projects around the country or for programs like Social Security and Medicare.
Johnson (R-La) is hoping to put the bill up for a vote on Tuesday. Because Republicans only hold a narrow 218-214 majority, they might need Democratic support to pass the resolution.
Democrats have been opposed to what Johnson called a “clean” resolution, but to reject the measure would put the nation at risk of a partial government shutdown. Congress must act by midnight Friday to avoid one.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned Republicans Friday that Democrats would not support any bills that strip funding for healthcare, stating that, “Medicaid is our redline.”
“Republicans have decided to introduce a partisan continuing resolution that threatens to cut funding for healthcare, nutritional assistance and veterans benefits through the end of the current fiscal year,” Jeffries wrote in a “Dear Colleague” letter circulated on Friday. “That is not acceptable.”
Johnson fired back Saturday, accusing Democrats of not getting the “irony.”
“They love to remind the American people of the perils of a government shutdown. BUT, they’re opposing a clean CR that would keep the government open,” he wrote on X.
President Trump has also shown support for the bill, and urged Republicans on Saturday to rally so they can push the bill through without Democrat support.
“The House and Senate have put together, under the circumstances, a very good funding Bill (“CR”)! All Republicans should vote (Please!) YES next week. Great things are coming for America, and I am asking you all to give us a few months to get us through to September so we can continue to put the Country’s “financial house” in order,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
“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!”
With Post Wires
