High Democratic negotiators on Friday accused Republicans of “walking away” from bipartisan authorities funding talks two weeks earlier than the shutdown deadline.
Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), prime Democrats on the Senate and Home Appropriations Committees mentioned in a joint assertion Friday that GOP management is abandoning bipartisan negotiations and “raising the risk of a shutdown in so doing.”
In addition they took intention at a current push by conservatives to codify some current efforts by the Trump administration and its Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) as a part of a sweeping operation to reshape the federal authorities.
“Republican leadership’s plan to pass a full-year continuing resolution with Musk’s devastating ‘DOGE cuts’ would give Trump new flexibility to spend funding as he sees fit,” they mentioned.
“While Elon Musk has been calling for a shutdown, Democrats have been working to pass bills that make sure Congress decides whether our schools or hospitals get funding—not Trump or Musk.”
Congress has till March 14 to go laws to maintain the federal government working or threat a shutdown.
Whereas prime negotiators have mentioned that each side are “close” or “virtually there” with regards to agreeing to a top-line quantity for presidency funding for fiscal 2025, each side have been digging of their heels in talks over the president’s spending powers.
As Democrats have pressed for assurances {that a} bipartisan funding deal that emerges from talks received’t be undermined by Trump and cuts pursued by DOGE, Republicans have more and more been blaming a possible shutdown on Democrats, whereas additionally pushing for a six-month stopgap to run by means of September, the top of fiscal 2025.
Earlier this week, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) accused his colleagues throughout the aisle of creating “completely unreasonable conditions” in funding talks.
“They want us to limit the power of the executive branch,” he argued. “They want us to stipulate in the appropriations vote for the first time in history that certain agencies in the executive branch would have to have a specific number of employees.”
Roughly 20,000 probationary federal workers have been axed because the Trump administration ramps up firings. That covers new hires and workers who have been newly promoted.
Among the many record of businesses the place workers have been focused are the departments of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Safety, Inside and Training. The Social Safety Administration additionally notified workers of “significant workforce reductions” amid reviews that hundreds of staff may very well be let go.
The Trump administration has additionally moved to freeze some federal funding, however that effort, and others, have seen roadblocks within the courts as questions over the legality of the measures stay.
Nonetheless, calls are additionally rising amongst hard-line conservatives for DOGE cuts to be applied as a part of a funding deal, as some Republicans have cheered the push whereas urgent for additional spending reductions to sort out the nation’s deficit.
However different Republicans aren’t holding their breath on that effort.
“I don’t see how that could work,” Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) mentioned Thursday. “We should consider [it] in the [fiscal] ‘26 appropriations process, where we can hear testimony from all of the secretaries and other agency heads.”
