With a government shutdown deadline fast approaching on March 14, Republican leaders in Congress are facing a major challenge: how to fund federal agencies that former President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk want to dismantle.
While Democrats are insisting on fully funding all agencies and ensuring that Trump actually spends the money allocated by Congress, Republicans say such restrictions would be a dealbreaker.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson are looking to the White House for clearer guidance on how to craft a spending bill that Trump would support—without triggering a political crisis within their own party.
Trump’s Take on the Funding Battle
Trump weighed in on Thursday night, expressing optimism on Truth Social:
“We are working very hard with the House and Senate to pass a clean, temporary government funding Bill (‘CR’) to the end of September. Let’s get it done!”
But despite his encouraging words, it’s still unclear whether he would actually back a “clean” funding bill—one that includes money for the very agencies he has targeted for cuts.
Johnson has floated the idea of including Musk’s proposed cuts in the upcoming funding bills, but even fellow Republicans in the House and Senate Appropriations Committees pushed back against that idea.
“I don’t know the answer to that, but I think you know where the administration is on that issue,” Thune told CNN, dodging a firm stance on whether agencies like USAID—which Trump has been trying to shut down—will receive funding.
A Tough Balancing Act for Republicans
Republicans are in a difficult spot. They need Democratic votes to pass a funding bill in both the House and Senate, but they also have to keep Trump happy—something that hasn’t always been easy. When he was last in the White House, Trump sent the government into a record-breaking 35-day shutdown after rejecting a deal that Republicans had already worked out with Democrats.
Even within their own party, some GOP hardliners are asking for clarity from Trump’s camp.
“We’ve got to see what the White House is doing. They’ve got to speak with clarity about what’s happening with respect to rescissions or whatever they might do on spending,” said Rep. Chip Roy of Texas.
On the other side, Democrats must decide whether to stand firm on their demands—risking a shutdown—or compromise, which could be seen as giving in to Trump’s agenda.
“It’s unacceptable,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez when asked about Johnson’s proposal to lock in Trump’s cuts. “If Republicans want to pass it with their policy priorities, then they can vote for it.”
But even top Republican budget leaders don’t believe it’s practical to include Musk’s budget-slashing plans.
“I don’t see how that could work,” said Sen. Susan Collins, the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, also dismissed the idea: “Honestly, this has to be bipartisan. You can’t get it through the Senate playing partisan games.”
House Speaker’s Gamble
For Johnson, pushing a Republican-only plan is a risky move. He would need almost every Republican vote, and some members—like Rep. Thomas Massie—have already made it clear they won’t support funding agencies that Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has marked for elimination.
“I’m not going to vote to fund the stuff that DOGE has found is waste, fraud, and abuse,” Massie said.
At the same time, some Republicans want more—not less—spending, especially for defense.
“If you don’t increase defense spending, there will be some Republicans who won’t vote for it because we know our national security is at risk,” said Rep. Carlos Gimenez of Florida.
Democrats’ Strategy: Hold Tight or Compromise?
For now, Democrats are keeping their cards close. They have been pushing for language in the funding bill that would prevent Trump from bypassing Congress on spending decisions. But they’re also wary of making public demands that could shift blame onto them if the government shuts down.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations panel, dismissed Johnson’s idea to lock in Musk’s proposed cuts.
“I don’t know what they’re even talking about. I mean, every day it’s something,” she said.
At the end of the day, DeLauro reminded everyone that Congress—not Trump—controls the budget.
“By law, there’s a process. It’s called the appropriations process. We have the power of the purse. We keep the government open, we pass the bills.”
With just weeks left to figure it out, Republicans will have to decide: stick to Trump’s agenda and risk a shutdown, or find a bipartisan compromise before time runs out.
