Trump and Johnson propose stopgap funding to avert shutdown, empower executive cuts

In a bid to prevent a government shutdown looming on March 14, President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson have proposed a continuing resolution (CR) to maintain federal funding at current levels through September 30. This strategy aims to sidestep a politically damaging shutdown while granting the administration greater discretion over spending cuts.​

President Trump announced his collaboration with House Republicans on social media, stating that the CR would provide "needed time to work on our Agenda," including tax and spending cuts, while effectively freezing spending for the current fiscal year, according to Reuters.

Speaker Johnson echoed this approach, noted Politico, emphasizing that the proposed stopgap measure would defer the implementation of cuts recommended by Elon Musk's DOGE to the next fiscal year.

The proposal has elicited mixed reactions within Congress. Some conservative lawmakers, traditionally opposed to stopgap measures, have expressed openness to the plan, citing President Trump's assertive stance on spending cuts. Representative Chip Roy of Texas remarked, "I think the president is going to be able to handle a lot of bad policies through impoundment and other tools."

Bipartisan members of the appropriations committees have voiced concerns. Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine and chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, argued that the CR would "lock in programs that should be trimmed" and fail to provide necessary increases to agencies like the Department of Defense. ​

Democratic leaders have also criticized the plan. Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader, indicated that should Republicans pursue this approach, they would be "going it alone."

The proposed CR would effectively extend funding levels set under former President Joseph R. Biden Jr., without incorporating the cuts recommended by DOGE. This extension would grant the Trump administration broader discretion over large sums of money, allowing for unilateral spending reductions without explicit congressional approval. ​

As the 14 March deadline approaches, the administration and congressional leaders face a critical decision: pass the CR to maintain government operations and empower executive spending cuts, or risk a shutdown with uncertain political repercussions.