As the clock ticks ever closer to the September 30, 2025, deadline for government funding, Washington is once again gripped by the familiar drama of brinkmanship, party infighting, and high-stakes negotiations. House Republicans, determined to avert a government shutdown, advanced a stopgap funding measure this week—a move that has set the stage for a fierce showdown with Senate Democrats and a divided opposition both within and outside the GOP’s own ranks.
The measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), would maintain government funding at current levels through November 21, 2025, just before lawmakers break for the Thanksgiving holiday. On Wednesday, September 17, the House advanced the rule for the CR in a tight 216-210 party-line vote, according to Nexstar Media Inc. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) notably voted present, a symbolic gesture in a chamber where every vote counts.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced plans to hold a final vote on the “clean CR” by Friday, emphasizing that the measure would “keep the government funded and operating at current levels while we continue all this work” on regular appropriations bills. Yet, even as Johnson projected confidence, cracks within his own party were showing. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris (R-Md.) voiced support for the CR but underscored the importance of adhering to the House’s 72-hour rule for reviewing legislation, saying, “We really shouldn’t wander too far away from that rule.”
But not all Republicans are on board. Vocal critics like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Rep. Victoria Spartz (Ind.), and Rep. Warren Davidson (Ohio) have signaled opposition, raising the specter of a failed vote if even a handful of GOP members defect. Greene, a staunch Trump ally, declared on X, “When in all actual reality, it’s a disloyalty to him by passing a Biden policy laden omnibus.” Her criticism reflects a broader frustration among hardliners who see the CR as perpetuating policies enacted under President Joe Biden, despite Republican-led increases in military and immigration enforcement funding earlier this year.
Yet, the former president himself has thrown his weight behind the measure. “In times like these, Republicans have to stick TOGETHER to fight back against the Radical Left Democrat demands,” Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, urging GOP unity to keep the government funded until November 20. Trump’s intervention has complicated the loyalty calculus for House conservatives, many of whom have made a habit of threatening to vote against their own party’s priorities only to fall in line under pressure.
On the other side of the aisle, Democrats have made clear they’re not interested in rubber-stamping the GOP’s plan. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) released a joint statement blasting the Republican-crafted stopgap, arguing that it “fails to meet the needs of the American people and does nothing to stop the looming healthcare crisis.” They’re demanding the extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies—set to expire at year’s end—and the reversal of Trump-era Medicaid cuts, provisions top Republicans have dismissed as nonstarters.
“We’re totally united. The Republicans have to come to meet with us in a true bipartisan negotiation to satisfy the American people’s needs on health care. Or they won’t get our votes,” Schumer told the Associated Press after a meeting with Jeffries. Democrats’ own counteroffer would fund the government through October 31 and strengthen security for lawmakers by $326 million, according to a report in Washington Monthly. Their stance reflects a shift in party sentiment: a recent NBC News poll from March 2025 found that 65% of Democrats now want their representatives to stick to their positions, even if that risks bipartisan progress—a reversal from years past when compromise was seen as a virtue.
Beyond healthcare, the CR includes significant security funding in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk—a tragedy that has cast a long shadow over Capitol Hill. The measure allocates $58 million for the security of the executive branch and Supreme Court justices, and $30 million to reimburse lawmakers’ security expenses. It also offers a crucial funding fix for the District of Columbia, plugging a $1 billion budget gap caused by an earlier legislative omission.
The rule advancing the CR also tees up a symbolic vote: a resolution honoring Kirk’s life and condemning political violence. The move comes amid heightened fears about the safety of public officials and a broader climate of political polarization. “Johnson told reporters Monday that he’s also hoping to add extra funds for lawmakers’ security to the bill in the wake of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which has sparked fears in Congress about members’ safety,” as reported by HuffPost.
However, the path forward is anything but straightforward. The GOP’s narrow majority means that with every lawmaker present, Johnson can afford to lose only two Republican votes if Democrats remain united in opposition. This razor-thin margin has given outsized influence to the party’s right flank, whose members have a history of grandstanding before ultimately backing leadership’s proposals. As HuffPost observed, “House conservatives, with Massie as the sole exception, have become known for folding.”
Meanwhile, Trump has urged Republicans to avoid negotiations with Democrats altogether. “I told them, don’t even bother dealing with them,” Trump said in a Fox News interview. “We will get it through because the Republicans are sticking together.” But if the House does pass the short-term funding bill, it will require at least seven Senate Democrats to break a filibuster and send it to Trump’s desk—a tall order given the current climate.
Democrats, for their part, are under pressure from their base to take a harder line. Progressive commentators and strategists have called for the party to “draw a line in the sand” and extract meaningful concessions, rather than caving to GOP demands in the name of bipartisanship. As Amanda Marcotte argued in Washington Monthly, “Bipartisanship and cooperation will not stop Trump’s authoritarian moves. Democrats need to draw a line in the proverbial sand and take a strong stand on what they want in exchange for keeping the federal government open.”
Yet, the party faces its own internal challenges: a lack of unity, low approval ratings, and an ongoing debate over messaging and leadership. Data for Progress polling suggests Democrats should focus on holding billionaires accountable and fighting corporate greed—issues that resonate more strongly with voters than traditional appeals to the rule of law or opportunity.
With the government operating on funding levels first set under the Biden administration, and only three of twelve regular appropriations bills having advanced to conference committee, the stakes of this showdown are high. The outcome will not only determine whether the lights stay on in Washington but will also serve as a test of both parties’ resolve, strategy, and vision for the country.
As the deadline looms, all eyes are on Capitol Hill, where the next few days may reveal whether compromise, confrontation, or chaos will define this chapter of American governance.
