Top appropriators in Congress are pointing the finger at the opposing party for the lack of a government funding deal with the deadline over a week away, with Republicans blaming Democrats for holding onto “red lines” and Democrats claiming Republicans have walked away from negotiations.
Government funding expires on March 14, and members of the “four corners” — House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) and ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins (R-ME) and ranking member Patty Murray (D-MA) — are split over which party is to blame for the lack of a deal as lawmakers eye a continuing resolution to bring fiscal 2025 to a close.
Cole said in a lengthy statement on Monday he remains at the negotiating table and a government shutdown, which would happen if a CR or all 12 appropriations bills are not passed, is “unacceptable.” Top appropriators have noted that they are “close” or “virtually there” in top-line negotiations, but a sticking point is the “presidential power issue.”
“We are at a point in the process where a topline number is not the roadblock,” Cole said. “Democrat leadership remains laser-focused on restricting presidential authority. It’s a non-starter and battle they lost to the American people.”
Collins told reporters that they are working on a “two-track process” for government funding, which would include a long-term CR as well as a short-term CR. The Maine senator said a short-term CR would be her preference, though House GOP appropriators have told the Washington Examiner that a full-year CR to September is looking more likely.
Democrats have blasted the White House for refusing to back programs previously appropriated funds by Congress, a move they argue is unconstitutional. In appropriations talks ahead of March 14, Democrats are asking their Republican colleagues to provide explicit assurances that Trump will spend the funding Congress allocated.
But DeLauro told reporters on Monday that Republicans have “walked away from the negotiating table,” adding that a year-long CR would be “very detrimental” and there has been no response to an offer made by Democrats a week ago.
“I believe in the power and the strength of the Appropriations Committee,” DeLauro said. “We have the power of the purse, the president doesn’t have it. So start from that premise. He’s violating the law, violating the Constitution.”
When asked about her preference between a short-term or a long-term CR, DeLauro said “let’s just see where that goes” but she indicated that, on the House side, a short-term CR is not on the table.
DeLauro added that she’s been concerned about the appropriations process since last December.
“Why couldn’t we have passed the bills last December? It was the speaker of the House who said no, because he had an election on Jan. 3,” DeLauro said. “We’re in this muck and mire because of his political decisions. There was no need for this.”
Jeffries said last week that he has not engaged in conversations with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on appropriations, insisting that he has “great confidence” in DeLauro that she will negotiate a deal that is “consistent with the values of the American people.”
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), who chairs the Appropriations Committee’s Interior subcommittee, told the Washington Examiner last week that a yearlong CR “drives us nuts” because it’s like “throwing everything out the window that we’ve been doing.” But he acknowledged that lawmakers are “way behind schedule” and it’s likely the only course of action.
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Simpson called DeLauro a “good friend of mine” and said she told him last week they are getting closer — but “then an executive order comes out the next day, and it just blows everything up.”
“I think the Democrats, they don’t know what to do, how to react to everything that’s going on, and they’re looking at the government shutdown, they’re gonna blame us on us, and we always get blamed for it or whatever,” Simpson said. “But if you were gonna do the appropriation bills, they’re actually gonna be a compromise as they always are.”
