Government Shutdown Looms: Republicans' Last-Minute Demands Raise Risk
Two Democrats in Congress said on Friday that Republicans have raised the risk of a government shutdown by insisting on including cuts made by President Donald Trump's administration in legislation to keep the government operating past a mid-March deadline. Senator Patty Murray of Washington and Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the top Democrats on the committees that oversee spending, stated that the Republican proposal would give Trump too much power to spend as he pleased, even though Congress oversees federal funding. Lawmakers face a March 14 deadline to pass a bill to fund the government, or risk a government shutdown.
- The escalating tensions between Republicans and Democrats over funding for the government highlight the ongoing struggle for control of the legislative agenda and the erosion of bipartisan cooperation in recent years.
- What will be the long-term consequences of this government shutdown, particularly on vulnerable populations such as low-income families, social security recipients, and federal employees?