Funding patch from GOP raises defense and deportation funds, reduces other program budgets
As the Friday shutdown deadline approaches, House GOP leaders are putting forth a proposal that Democrats will strongly oppose.
TroibNews 
On Saturday, House Republicans unveiled a seven-month funding bill that proposes adding billions in spending for deportations, veterans’ health care, and military initiatives while cutting even more from non-defense programs.
This legislation, developed by Speaker Mike Johnson in collaboration with the White House, aligns with President Donald Trump’s primary policy objectives, escalating tensions with Democrats as a Friday midnight shutdown deadline approaches.
Trump urged Republican support for the measure: "We have to remain UNITED — NO DISSENT — Fight for another day when the timing is right. VERY IMPORTANT," he posted on Truth Social.
House Democratic leaders have expressed strong opposition to the GOP-authored stopgap. They spent weeks negotiating for a bipartisan government funding agreement before House GOP leaders chose to pursue this funding patch, which extends through September and provides Trump with significant flexibility to reallocate federal resources.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the leading Democratic appropriator in the House, criticized the funding patch as a “power grab for the White House,” cautioning that the bill would enable Trump and his chief “efficiency” adviser Elon Musk “to steal from the American people.”
Senate Democrats are taking a more measured approach. Should Johnson succeed in passing the bill in the House, at least seven Senate Democrats will need to back it to avoid a government shutdown. The Republican-friendly elements within the new bill may incite further Democratic resistance.
GOP leaders indicated that the bill would increase defense spending by roughly $6 billion from current budgets, while non-defense funding would be reduced by about $13 billion. It also fulfills a request from the Trump administration for additional funding for ICE to facilitate deportations. Additionally, the stopgap would continue a freeze on over $20 billion earmarked for the IRS.
Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray described the House Republican bill as a “slush fund,” granting Trump and Musk “more power to pick winners and losers.” She urged Congress to adopt a “short-term” funding patch that would allow time for bipartisan negotiations to continue.
To satisfy conservative demands to cut non-defense spending, GOP leaders have targeted numerous programs for elimination, many of which had previously been secured through earmarks by lawmakers.
Notably, the bill does not renew $40 million in fiscal 2024 funding for more than 70 initiatives to support children and families. While most of these programs were requested by Democratic senators, a few were backed by Republicans, such as Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s $250,000 allocation for a child abuse prevention organization in Mississippi and Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s more than $5 million request for funding in Alaska.
Additionally, the legislation eliminates $890 million in grants for healthcare facilities and equipment, which had bipartisan support among senators including Shelley Moore Capito, Lindsey Graham, Markwayne Mullin, and Roger Wicker.
Projects aimed at emergency preparedness and disaster mitigation, which rely on $293 million in earmarked FEMA funding, will not be renewed, along with $116 million in funding from the Small Business Administration and $107 million for workforce development projects. Law enforcement grants, clean water initiatives, and tribal assistance are also targeted.
The ramifications for previously funded projects may vary, as some earmarks from last year may no longer be applicable. For instance, one provision that was removed from the bill is $17.5 million in funding for the museum in Abilene, Kansas, which honors former Republican President Dwight Eisenhower—secured by Sen. Jerry Moran last year.
The spending bill does not incorporate a bipartisan provision aimed at reversing proposed cuts to Medicare physicians’ pay, a significant setback for physician groups, including numerous House GOP members, who have contended that the reductions stem from a formula that fails to account for rising healthcare costs.
Even prior to the bill's release, Democrats criticized the stopgap as a “blank check” for the president, noting the absence of earmarks that ensure federal funding flows to specific projects in their districts, as well as the hundreds of pages of guidance typically included with more standard funding bills. It further grants the Trump administration “new start” authority to initiate military programs not yet approved by Congress.
GOP leaders briefed House Republicans on the funding strategy Saturday morning, confirming that earmarks would be omitted from the package and indicating that they would have "no legal effect" moving forward. Some fiscal conservatives voiced concerns over the level of spending reductions included in the plan, according to unnamed sources familiar with the discussions.
Johnson and Trump have devoted weeks to persuading hard-right members to support the spending patch, a move typically resisted by these factions. They assert that the remainder of the fiscal year is necessary for formulating a plan to implement major cuts via the Department of Government Efficiency initiative.
"Great things are coming for America, and I am asking you all to give us a few months to get us through to September so we can continue to put the Country’s 'financial house' in order," Trump reiterated in his Saturday post.
Johnson intends to pass the bill with only Republican votes as early as Tuesday, subsequently adjourning the House to pressure Senate Democrats to support a plan they strongly oppose. He suggested on Friday that any lapse in government funding would be termed “a Chuck Schumer shutdown” should Democrats refuse to help Republicans meet the Senate’s 60-vote requirement.
“Democrats are not the ones interested in finding a reasonable solution to fund the government,” a House Republican leadership aide stated during a Saturday call, accusing Democrats of weaponizing “government funding” to obstruct the Trump administration's agenda.
“It's going to be a tough choice now for Democrats to decide if they want to be the ones to shut down the government, something that they've long opposed,” added the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe GOP leaders’ perspectives.
As anticipated, the bill does not provide additional disaster relief for the recent California wildfires or hurricane victims, nor does it address an impending debt ceiling deadline.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
This legislation, developed by Speaker Mike Johnson in collaboration with the White House, aligns with President Donald Trump’s primary policy objectives, escalating tensions with Democrats as a Friday midnight shutdown deadline approaches.
Trump urged Republican support for the measure: "We have to remain UNITED — NO DISSENT — Fight for another day when the timing is right. VERY IMPORTANT," he posted on Truth Social.
House Democratic leaders have expressed strong opposition to the GOP-authored stopgap. They spent weeks negotiating for a bipartisan government funding agreement before House GOP leaders chose to pursue this funding patch, which extends through September and provides Trump with significant flexibility to reallocate federal resources.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the leading Democratic appropriator in the House, criticized the funding patch as a “power grab for the White House,” cautioning that the bill would enable Trump and his chief “efficiency” adviser Elon Musk “to steal from the American people.”
Senate Democrats are taking a more measured approach. Should Johnson succeed in passing the bill in the House, at least seven Senate Democrats will need to back it to avoid a government shutdown. The Republican-friendly elements within the new bill may incite further Democratic resistance.
GOP leaders indicated that the bill would increase defense spending by roughly $6 billion from current budgets, while non-defense funding would be reduced by about $13 billion. It also fulfills a request from the Trump administration for additional funding for ICE to facilitate deportations. Additionally, the stopgap would continue a freeze on over $20 billion earmarked for the IRS.
Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray described the House Republican bill as a “slush fund,” granting Trump and Musk “more power to pick winners and losers.” She urged Congress to adopt a “short-term” funding patch that would allow time for bipartisan negotiations to continue.
To satisfy conservative demands to cut non-defense spending, GOP leaders have targeted numerous programs for elimination, many of which had previously been secured through earmarks by lawmakers.
Notably, the bill does not renew $40 million in fiscal 2024 funding for more than 70 initiatives to support children and families. While most of these programs were requested by Democratic senators, a few were backed by Republicans, such as Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s $250,000 allocation for a child abuse prevention organization in Mississippi and Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s more than $5 million request for funding in Alaska.
Additionally, the legislation eliminates $890 million in grants for healthcare facilities and equipment, which had bipartisan support among senators including Shelley Moore Capito, Lindsey Graham, Markwayne Mullin, and Roger Wicker.
Projects aimed at emergency preparedness and disaster mitigation, which rely on $293 million in earmarked FEMA funding, will not be renewed, along with $116 million in funding from the Small Business Administration and $107 million for workforce development projects. Law enforcement grants, clean water initiatives, and tribal assistance are also targeted.
The ramifications for previously funded projects may vary, as some earmarks from last year may no longer be applicable. For instance, one provision that was removed from the bill is $17.5 million in funding for the museum in Abilene, Kansas, which honors former Republican President Dwight Eisenhower—secured by Sen. Jerry Moran last year.
The spending bill does not incorporate a bipartisan provision aimed at reversing proposed cuts to Medicare physicians’ pay, a significant setback for physician groups, including numerous House GOP members, who have contended that the reductions stem from a formula that fails to account for rising healthcare costs.
Even prior to the bill's release, Democrats criticized the stopgap as a “blank check” for the president, noting the absence of earmarks that ensure federal funding flows to specific projects in their districts, as well as the hundreds of pages of guidance typically included with more standard funding bills. It further grants the Trump administration “new start” authority to initiate military programs not yet approved by Congress.
GOP leaders briefed House Republicans on the funding strategy Saturday morning, confirming that earmarks would be omitted from the package and indicating that they would have "no legal effect" moving forward. Some fiscal conservatives voiced concerns over the level of spending reductions included in the plan, according to unnamed sources familiar with the discussions.
Johnson and Trump have devoted weeks to persuading hard-right members to support the spending patch, a move typically resisted by these factions. They assert that the remainder of the fiscal year is necessary for formulating a plan to implement major cuts via the Department of Government Efficiency initiative.
"Great things are coming for America, and I am asking you all to give us a few months to get us through to September so we can continue to put the Country’s 'financial house' in order," Trump reiterated in his Saturday post.
Johnson intends to pass the bill with only Republican votes as early as Tuesday, subsequently adjourning the House to pressure Senate Democrats to support a plan they strongly oppose. He suggested on Friday that any lapse in government funding would be termed “a Chuck Schumer shutdown” should Democrats refuse to help Republicans meet the Senate’s 60-vote requirement.
“Democrats are not the ones interested in finding a reasonable solution to fund the government,” a House Republican leadership aide stated during a Saturday call, accusing Democrats of weaponizing “government funding” to obstruct the Trump administration's agenda.
“It's going to be a tough choice now for Democrats to decide if they want to be the ones to shut down the government, something that they've long opposed,” added the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe GOP leaders’ perspectives.
As anticipated, the bill does not provide additional disaster relief for the recent California wildfires or hurricane victims, nor does it address an impending debt ceiling deadline.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
