Congress Releases Spending Plan Amid Trump's Push to Avoid Shutdown

In a bid to avert a partial government shutdown, Congress has unveiled a new spending plan that could keep the wheels turning through the start of fiscal year 2026, which begins on October 1. The proposed legislation, spanning 99 pages, aims to maintain current government funding levels and is set against a Friday, March 14 deadline. Tight timing, as always, in Washington.

House Republican leaders are optimistic they can pass the bill with GOP votes alone—a feat they haven't managed since taking the House majority in January 2023. However, this optimism comes with a caveat: while the bill was "closely coordinated" with the White House, President Donald Trump hasn’t given it his full blessing yet, as he hasn’t reviewed all the details. Guess even presidents need to skim before signing off.

The bill includes an additional $8 billion in defense spending, seemingly to appease national security hawks, and a cut of $13 billion in non-defense spending. It also earmarks $6 billion for healthcare for veterans, a move that seems to be a nod toward bipartisan goodwill—or at least trying to keep certain critics at bay.

On anomalies—those extra spending requests that pop up unexpectedly—the bill fulfills Trump’s request for increased funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to aides, this extra funding is meant to cover an operational shortfall that dates back to the Biden administration. Who knew budget gaps had such persistence?

To ensure compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), the legislation keeps federal spending increases for FY 2025 below 1%. Savings will also come from eliminating "side deals" made during FRA negotiations and banning earmarks—those pet projects lawmakers love to sneak in for their districts. The bill allocates $892.5 billion for defense and $708 billion for non-defense discretionary spending.

Essentially, this is a continuing resolution (CR), an extension of the previous fiscal year’s funding levels. This will be the third and final CR covering FY 2024 numbers, with Republicans banking on this move to strengthen their position for future conservative funding negotiations.

Despite needing Democratic support to clear the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, House Democrats are being directed to oppose the measure. In a letter to colleagues, Democratic leaders accused Republicans of targeting healthcare, nutritional assistance, and veterans’ benefits to fund tax cuts for billionaires. Talk about dramatic accusations—it’s almost Shakespearean.

Meanwhile, internal GOP unity remains a challenge. Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas has already declared his opposition, calling CRs a "Rubberstamp of fraud, waste, and abuse." Conservative defections have plagued similar efforts in the past two years, and this bill may not be immune.

Still, GOP leaders are leaning on their coordination with the White House and Trump’s support to sway skeptical Republicans. Trump, ever the showman, took to Truth Social to declare, "Conservatives will love this Bill, because it sets us up to cut Taxes and Spending in Reconciliation, all while effectively FREEZING Spending this year." Subtlety isn’t his strong suit, but hey, it gets the point across.

Whether this plan will succeed in avoiding a shutdown while pleasing both parties—or just adding fuel to the partisan fire—remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the clock is ticking, and Washington’s infamous brinkmanship is on full display once again.