The House locked in a big victory for President Trump on Tuesday, with nearly all Republicans voting to approve a spending bill that would free the president to prioritize his agenda.
The 217-213 vote fell along party lines, with one Republican, Thomas Massie (Ky.), breaking with the party. The continuing resolution (CR) funds the government at current spending levels until the end of the fiscal year on September 30.
The continuing resolution hikes defense spending by $6 billion, while reducing non-defense spending by $13 billion compared to 2024 levels. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will receive an additional $485 million to carry out Trump's deportations.
Contrary to Democratic messaging, the bill does not affect Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid.
“They either have an issue with reading comprehension,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said of Democrats, “or they are attempting to run one of the most shameful misinformation campaigns that we have seen in our lives.”
The continuing resolution enables Trump to postpone the appropriations process, which places more restrictions on how government money can be spent, until the next fiscal year begins in the fall. Republicans backed the continuing resolution for basically the same reason that Democrats opposed it: they fear the bill gives Trump and Elon Musk too much discretion on spending, enabling their slash-and-burn campaign against government bloat.
“It is not a simple stopgap that keeps the lights on and the doors open,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. “This is Republican leadership handing over the keys of the government, and a blank check to Elon Musk and to President Trump.”
While budget hawks on the right are typically opposed to CRs, Republican holdouts were convinced after an intense lobbying effort from Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.
The remarkable show of Republican unity behind Trump put a target on the lone GOP dissenter, Thomas Massie, whom Trump called a "grandstander."
"HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him,” Trump wrote.
While it's part of the standard Democratic playbook to blame conservative Republicans for government shutdowns, the usual roles have been reversed.
Some Democrats fear they will lose critical leverage if they agree to keep the government open. Only one House Democrat, Jared Golden (Me.), voted in favor of the CR.
"Here’s the bottom line,” Johnson said in a Tuesday press conference. “If Congressional Democrats refuse to support this clean CR, they will be responsible for every troop who misses a paycheck, for every flight delay from reduced staffing at TSA, and for every negative consequence that comes from shutting down the government.”
Senate Democrats must now decide whether to help pass the spending bill ahead of a deadline Friday - or take the blame for a shutdown.
Republican Rand Paul (Ky.) has already said he's voting no, so at least eight Senate Democrats would need to cross the aisle to get the bill on President Trump's desk.
