Republicans from the House of Representatives have presented a 99 -page expense bill that would keep federal agencies financed until September 30. The Congress must act before midnight on Friday to avoid a partial closure of the government.
The Republicans of the House of Representatives announced on Saturday a bill of expenses that would maintain the federal agencies financed until September 30, promoting an individual action strategy that seems safe that will cause an important confrontation with the Democrats about the limits of government spending.
The 99 pages bill would give a slight impulse to defense programs, while cutting the programs not related to defense below the levels of the budget year 2024. This approach is likely not to be viable for most Democrats, who have insisted for a long time that the expenditure in defense and other areas will go in the same direction.
The Congress must act before midnight on Friday to avoid a partial closure of the government.
The president of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, Republican by Louisiana, is preparing the bill for his vote on Tuesday despite the lack of support of the Democrats, which in essence challenges them to vote against and risk a closure. It is also betting that Republicans can make the legislation approve in the Chamber largely alone. Normally, when it comes to maintaining the government completely open for business, Republicans have had to work with Democrats to elaborate a bipartisan measure that both sides can support. This is because Republicans almost always lack the votes to approve expenditure bills alone.
Fundamentally, the strategy has the support of President Donald Trump, who has demonstrated a capacity so far in his mandate to keep Republicans at bay.
Trump praised the bill, writing in X that the Republicans have to “remain united – without disagreeing – fight for another day when it is the right time.”
“Great things are coming for the United States and I ask everyone to give us a few months to get to September and be able to continue putting the 'financial house' of the country in order,” he said.
The leader of the minority of the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, said Friday that his Democratic bench could not support a partisan financing plan of the Republicans.
“I firmly oppose this continuity resolution throughout the year, which is a power outlet for the White House and also allows the unbridled billionaire Elon Musk and President Trump to rob the US people,” said representative Rosa Delauro, the main person in charge of the allocation of funds in the Chamber of Democratic Representatives, in a statement after the financing bill would be published.
(With information from The Associated Press and Reuters)