Congressional Democrats have begun scheming to use an upcoming government battle to force concessions from President Donald Trump.
Though the next spending deadline is in mid-March, Congress has yet to agree on anything, let alone a deal to avert a crisis.
“Democrats say they have little appetite to help Republicans, given Trump’s latest moves, and intend to use their leverage in the spending fight,” according to The Hill.
Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, warned reporters earlier this week that “the level of trust is at the lowest I have ever seen it here in Congress, in our ability to work together, find a compromise and get it passed.”
Good possibility there will be a goverment shutdown starting March 14 because of failure to pass a budget.
— GE Lane (@laneg7905) February 1, 2025
It’s the same story in the House, where Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to push ahead with bills to lower funding levels, only to be met with constant opposition from the Democrats.
Because of the opposition, Republicans “were forced to punt a preliminary vote on an unrelated budget measure that would have paved the way to pass Trump’s top priorities with just GOP support,” according to The Hill.
The trouble is that Johnson is under heavy pressure to avoid pursuing the type of bipartisan compromise that cost his predecessor, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, his job two years ago. The reason why is because President Trump remains adamant that he won the 2024 presidential election with a mandate
“The president is also claiming the authority to impound funding already approved by Congress, which has infuriated Democrats — who say it’s patently illegal — and undermined trust between the parties heading into the meat of the negotiations,” The Hill further notes.
Democrats are also unhappy with Trump appointing billionaire Elon Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in its efforts to cut government spending.
“The combination [of factors] has heightened the threat of a shutdown after March 14, when funding is scheduled to expire,” according to The Hill.
Democrats meanwhile remain committed to using their leverage in the shutdown battle to get their way.
“Republicans have a narrow majority in the House, and we are ready, willing, and able to work with them, our Republican colleagues, to improve the quality of life for everyday Americans, [but] we will not participate in a Republican rip-off that steals taxpayer money from the American people,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday.
Critics say it’s the government that’s been stealing money from the American people and wasting it on fruitless endeavors, including transgender operas, transgender comic books, and more.
Biden official defends report of $50M going to condoms in Gaza by floating ‘sexual health’ not ‘condoms alone’ https://t.co/iDSwPTJAqe
— BPR (@BIZPACReview) January 29, 2025
On Monday, Jeffries also penned a “Dear Colleague” letter containing a 10-part plan on how Democrats can resist Trump’s attempts to reform the federal government.
In the letter, he called for using the upcoming shutdown battle to prevent the administration from freezing or diverting any more federal funds.
“I have made clear to House Republican leadership that any effort to steal taxpayer money from the American people, end Medicaid as we know it, or defund programs important to everyday Americans, as contemplated by the illegal White House Office of Management and Budget order, must be choked off in the upcoming government funding bill, if not sooner,” he wrote.
Jeffries also called for Democrats to introduce a bill to prohibit what he’s termed “unlawful access” to the Treasury Department’s payment system.
“[L]egislation will be introduced shortly to prevent unlawful access to the Department of Treasury Bureau of the Fiscal Service payment system that contains highly confidential and personal information related to Social Security and Medicare recipients, taxpayers, households, nonprofits, businesses, and federal contractors,” he wrote.
The idea of the bill follows reports that DOGE gained access to the system this week in its efforts to trim government spending.
Asked this week if he thinks Congress will be able to avert a shutdown, radically far-left Sen. Chris Murphy said “Nope.”
“They’re destroying the federal government as we speak,” he continued whining. “They’re literally lighting agencies on fire one by one. They’re ignoring congressional requirements to spend money. We’re in the middle of a crisis.”
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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