We learned something this week on Capitol Hill.
House Republicans can withstand a government financing account without Democratic help.
Hardly. 217-213.
Republicans could only lose one mood. And that is all they have lost: rep. Thomas Massie, R-ky.
The Hitchhiker’s guide to where we stand with a potential government closure
The GOP account even took one Democratic YEA: Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine.
Passing on the public funding accounts itself was not always the case for the House Gop. Republicans have now held the majority of the house for more than two years. The Gop – majority leaned consistently on Democrats – in the minority – for many of the votes to keep the government open and to lift the debt ceiling. But that changed late Tuesday afternoon when Huis Repepublicans approved their own account to keep the lights.
But before the mood, House speaker Mike JohnsonR-La., Insured Democrats for opposing the temporary expenditure package, known as a “continuous resolution” or “cr.”
“As Congress Democrats, they refuse to support this clean CR, they are responsible for every troop that a salary lacks. For every flight delay of fewer staff in TSA. For every negative consequence that results from the government,” Johnson said.
It was unclear whether Johnson could pass on the bill with only Republicans. Especially because the speaker enveloped Democrats because they promised to vote.
“You constantly criticize the Democrats,” yours really told the speaker. ‘Doesn’t you impose that you don’t have the voices by your side? Because you don’t need democratic help to keep the government? “
Chairman of the house Mike Johnson, R-La., Tumbles with reporters in the Capitol in Washington, January 7, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)
“No. We will have the voices,” replied Johnson. “We’re going to pass the CR and we can do it alone.”
A few hours later the speaker realized his promise.
But he had an assist.
Vice -president JD Vance Came to the Capitool to make fear of the Republicans of the skeptical house on Tuesday morning. But Vance has not completely closed the deal.
“I saw some looks there that made me feel not good to secure the voices of those who may have questions,” said Rep. Mark Alford, R-MO., After the House Republican conclave with Vance.
Rep. Kat Cammack, R-fla., And others said they needed more guarantees about future cuts on spending. Rep. Tim Burchett, r-tenn., Said he would “pray” about how to vote on the bill. But on the way to the meeting, Burchett admitted that he had not yet experienced a political intercession.
“I don’t feel comfortable to give the Pentagon more money, although we generally cut,” said Burchett.
By noon, Burchett told me that he was “closer”, but still not there.
And when the house voted, it approved the bill.
Reporter’s Notebook: here we go again (again)
But what made the difference when it came to convince Skittish Republicans to vote yes?
Rep. Eric Burlison, R-MO., Fox said that he was “hardly” for the CR.
“What is the ‘barely’ part?” I asked.
“It is barely ‘is Donald Trump. He is the difference maker. I would never support this language. But I trust Donald Trump, “said Burlison.” He didn’t disappoint me. I think he is a man of his word. And so I believe him when he says he will get it done. “
But that was only half the battle. The bill earned the support of all Republican Senate. But 60 voices are needed to break a filibuster. Republicans only have 53 Gop members. So that would bring help from Democrats.
Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky., Said he opposed the bill because it did not lower the expenses. Paul said he did not get a recoil from the president or colleague Republicans in his position.
The American Capitol in Washington, DC, on Monday, November 11, 2024. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty images)
“People know a kind of where I am. I am pretty consistent in opposing debts and opposing expenses,” said Paul.
Compare the silence that Paul has heard how President Trump has fired his Bluegrass State colleague, Thomas Massie. Mr. Trump argued that Massie should make a primary for his overdue.
Senator John Fetterman, D-Penn., Is the only Democrat in the field of record support The stopgap expenditure account.
So it’s about math.
With only 52 Republicans prepared to crack a filibuster, this means that the Senate needs eight Democrats to vote yes. That includes Fetterman. Note that they don’t have to vote for the bill. Just to overcome the filibuster. Republicans can only pass on the bill with a simple majority.
This leaves Democrats so heavily torn apart as every party that is recently in an issue.
On the one hand, Democrats do not want to close the government. They fear that Imperil will already give federal employees. And it can lead to extra cuts from Elon Musk and Doge if federal employees are not working.
On the other hand, they want to be seen as fighting for their base and gather against President Trump and Musk.
But it is often the darkest before the dawn.
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Democrats have to go to the mat or try to save something before the 11:59:59 pm et Government Financing Deadline Friday.
There are rattings that Democrats can ask for votes on a universe of amendments – which would not pass anyone. But at least Democrats could save the face – their loyalists tell them that they were fighting for their values ​​and tried to stand up against the president and musk. They can also claim that a closure is worse than keeping the government open.
Fox is told that senators would be interested in votes on the following topics:
- Restoring financing for Washington, DC
- Doge and/or efforts by limiting the administration to “seize” money that has already been assigned by the congress “
- A Democratic, stop-expenditure account of one month
Fetterman seemed to be the only Democrat who was willing to vote for the GOP -Interim output account, but Thursday, Minority leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) announced that he would vote for it. And it’s possibly that a vote on a series of changes could Unlock a few democratic voices to break a filibuster on the bill.
But tensions are now high.
Reporters who set out a meeting of Senaatdemocrats who have held about the closure about the closure heard who they believe that senator Kirstin Gillibrand, dn.y., screaming against her colleagues shouted through the thick capital walls.
Several Senate Democrats were completely quiet when they left a long Senate Democratic caucus. None of the senators approached by FOX was willing to talk – although some are quite licky, among other circumstances. In fact, Fox even asked different Democrats if they were told nothing to say. Several replied “no comments.”
Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa., Tumbles with reporters in Russell Building after a vote by the Senate on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Calm on Capitol Hill often means that something is wrong and that legislators try to bypass a very fragile deal. It also means that legislators smoke.
There was genuine fear of Democrats that a government closure could permanently endanger the federal government and perhaps cause extra fired from thousands of federal employees.
This is the other problem: if the government is closed, nobody is pretty sure how it can be restored. It’s about math. And the Calculus under those circumstances simply did not work on the house and the Senate to eventually take the same bill and to open the government again. That Calculus just didn’t seem to work.
That is why Schumer made the decision to support the Band-AID expenditure account-as it is.
Schumer and Trump. (AP/Getty images)
This is why several Senate Democrats refused to comment on what Schumer told them during the closed-door Caucus meeting today. That is why tempers fragments and senator Kirstin Gillibrand (dn.y.) heard screaming through the thick senate walls.
But this is not without danger to Schumer.
He must convince six other Democrats (for a total of eight) to support the overcoming of a filibuster.
There are 53 Senate Republicans. 60 voices are needed to prevent a filibuster.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) Is a no. So the shortage is eight. Schumer and Senator John Fetterman (D-Penn.) Are the first two Democrats who say they are willing to vote to overcome a filibuster. So Schumer needs six more.
If he cannot find those votes, the government will close. And Schumer has committed a huge tactical error.
As the saying is, a leader without followers is just a man out for a walk.
Former house speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, always said that “nothing good” ever happens when the congress has been in the seat for more than three consecutive weeks.
Members get angry. Antsy. Tempers are short.
Senate majority leader John Thune, Rs.d., noted that the Senate met Ten consecutive weeks.
“Senators have seen a lot from each other lately. In fact, too much,” said Thune.
This includes three sessions for the entire night and weekend sessions. This period is the longest piece of consecutive weeks for senate activities in 15 years.
The Senate will be released for the first time this year next week. A closure of the government throws away the recess. Senators have hardly seen their family members. It has been a hectic pace.
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That is why the most powerful people in Washington could have the ultimate control over the financing of the government: Senate spouses.
And if the Senate matches the house, they have averted a government closure.
But hardly.
