House passes funding bill, avoiding shutdown in a victory for Republicans

In a crucial legislative move, House Speaker Mike Johnson successfully pushed through a funding bill on Tuesday, securing a win for Republicans and averting a looming government shutdown. The measure, backed by former President Donald Trump, was passed with a narrow 217-213 vote, overcoming resistance from the far-right faction of the GOP. The bill now heads to the Senate, where Democrats must decide whether to support it or risk a shutdown showdown before the Friday midnight deadline.

The vote saw only one Republican defection—Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky—while Democrats remained largely united against the bill. The passage of this stopgap measure puts significant pressure on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who must rally at least eight Democratic votes to approve the bill. However, the legislation includes none of the concessions Senate Democrats had sought to safeguard congressional spending authority in the Trump era.

In a bold tactical move, the House promptly adjourned after the vote, effectively forcing the Senate into a take-it-or-leave-it situation. Republican leaders celebrated the passage, hailing it as a strategic victory for Trump. The bill funds the government largely at spending levels previously signed into law by former President Joe Biden, while slashing $13 billion from domestic programs.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sharply criticized the measure, calling it a "reckless Republican spending bill" that fails to serve American interests. Maine Representative Jared Golden was the sole Democratic defector, citing the need for stability in government operations as his reason for supporting the bill. "Even a brief shutdown would introduce chaos and uncertainty at a time when our country can ill afford it," Golden explained in a statement on X.

In the lead-up to the vote, Trump and key members of his administration, including Vice President J.D. Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, personally lobbied Republican lawmakers. Their efforts proved decisive in consolidating GOP support for the measure. Vance, in a closed-door meeting, warned that failing to pass the bill could damage the party’s political momentum, particularly on border security and economic issues.

The bill includes substantial cuts, primarily targeting earmarks—funds allocated for specific projects by lawmakers. However, it also contains provisions that some conservatives opposed, such as a clause allowing lawmakers to sidestep a politically sensitive vote on ending Trump's tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

Massie, the lone Republican to oppose the measure, dismissed concerns over his political future, despite Trump’s apparent threat to back a primary challenger against him. "I don’t think they were trying to change my vote—they know they can’t," Massie remarked. "They just wanted to keep other Republicans in line."

With the bill now in the Senate’s hands, the focus shifts to Schumer and his Democratic colleagues. They must weigh the risks of accepting a GOP-led spending plan versus allowing a shutdown that could have political and economic repercussions. The Senate Democratic caucus is set to meet Wednesday to strategize on their next move.

As the deadline approaches, all eyes remain on the upper chamber, where the fate of government funding—and the broader political balance—hangs in the balance.