U.S. House Speaker Pushes for Clean Stopgap Funding to Avoid Shutdown

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson announced plans to pass a “clean” stopgap funding bill to maintain federal spending at current levels through September, preventing a government shutdown. Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, Johnson dismissed the idea of including spending cuts from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Democrats strongly oppose.

“We’re working to keep the government open, and Democrats need to negotiate,” Johnson said. However, bipartisan tensions remain high, with no clear path to a deal before the March 14 funding deadline.

Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized Republicans for a lack of outreach, while GOP lawmakers voiced concerns over a continuing resolution (CR). Representative Tony Gonzales rejected the measure, calling it a “rubber stamp for fraud, waste, and abuse.” Republican Don Bacon warned that a CR would weaken national security by delaying new military programs.

Senate and House Democrats blame Republicans for increasing the risk of a shutdown by insisting on spending cuts introduced under President Donald Trump for the fiscal year 2025 budget. Johnson, however, stated that such reductions would apply to fiscal year 2026 instead. He emphasized that future legislation would address fraud, waste, and abuse, incorporating cost savings identified by DOGE.

Jeffries pushed back against Republican efforts to cut social programs like Medicare to fund Trump’s border and tax policies, vowing no support for partisan budget plans. The House narrowly passed a Republican-backed budget last week, but Democratic opposition remains firm.

With Congress deeply divided, the fate of government funding remains uncertain as the deadline approaches.