We learned something on Capitol Hill this week.
House Republicans can pass government funding bill Democratic Aid.
only. 217-213.
Republicans can only lose one vote. This is what they lost: Rep. Thomas Massie, r-ky.
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The Republican bill even got a Democrat: Rep. Jared Gordon (D-Maine).
Passing the Government Funding Act by yourself is not always Republican Party. Republicans held the House of Representatives for more than two years. The Republican majority always relies on Democrats (serving in minorities) to keep the government open and lift the debt ceiling. But that changed, and on Tuesday afternoon, House Republicans approved their bills to keep the lights.
But before the vote House Speaker Mike JohnsonR-la. , condemning Democrats against temporary spending plans, called “continuous solution” or “CR.”
“If Congressional Democrats refuse to support this clean CR, they will be responsible for every unit that misses their salary. For every flight of TSA reduced personnel, every flight will be delayed. For every negative consequence of shutting down the government,” Johnson said.
It is unclear whether Johnson can pass the bill with Republicans. Especially when the Speaker declares the vote to the Democrats, the Democrats.
“You keep criticizing Democrats,” you do tell the speaker. “Doesn’t that suggest you didn’t vote for it? Because you don’t need democratic aid to retain the government?”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-la. Talk to reporters at the Capitol Building in Washington on January 7, 2025. (AP Photo/J. ScottApplewhite, file)
“No. We’ll get the vote.” “We’ll pass the CR and we can do it ourselves.”
A few hours later, the speaker fulfilled his promise.
But he was helped.
Vice President JD Vance On Tuesday morning, we arrived at the Capitol to ease fear of hate for House Republicans. But Vance didn’t fully reach an agreement.
After the House Republican General Assembly ended with Vance, Rep. Mark Alford said: “I saw some of the expressions there and didn’t make me feel good.
R-Fla. Rep. Kat Cammack and others said they need more assurances for future spending. R-Tenn. Rep. Tim Burchett said he would “pray” how to vote on the bill. But Burchett entered the meeting, admitting he had not experienced any political intercession.
“Even if we’re cutting the overall, I’m not willing to give the Pentagon more money,” Burchett said.
By the afternoon, Burchett told me he was “nearer” but was still not there.
When the House voted, it passed the bill.
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But what’s the difference when convincing the surrendered Republicans vote?
R-Mo. Rep. Eric Burlison told Fox that he had “little nothing” about CR.
“‘Almost no’ part?” I asked.
“Almost nothing” is Donald Trump. He is a different manufacturer. I will never support this language. But I do believe in Donald Trump,” Burleson said. “He didn’t disappoint me. I think he is his word. So I believe he is when he says he is going to finish it. ”
But that’s only half of the battle. The bill won the support of everyone except a Senate Republican. But 60 votes are necessary to break the for votes. Republicans have only 53 Republican members. So, this will require the assistance of Democrats.
R-Ky. Senator Rand Paul said he opposed the bill because it did not cut spending. Paul said he received no return from the president or his fellow Republicans.

Monday, November 11, 2024, the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Image)
“People know where I am. I’m very consistent in opposing debt and opposing spending,” Paul said.
Compare Paul’s silence with how President Trump stepped down as his Bluegrass colleague Thomas Massie. Mr. Trump argued that Massi should face his defection.
D-Penn. Sen. John Fetterman is the only Democrat on the record, supporting the Stop Spending Act.
So, it’s about mathematics.
Only 52 Republicans are ready to crack the filo, which means the Senate needs eight Democrats to vote. Among them is Fetterman. Please note that they do not have to vote on the bill. Just to overcome fiterib. Republicans can pass the bill alone with a simple majority.
This has left Democrats with as much ripped apart on any issue as any recent party.
On the one hand, Democrats don’t want to shut down the government. They fear that this would endanger federal workers who had already been radiated. If federal workers are not on the job, this could lead to additional cuts in Elon Musk and Doge.
On the other hand, they want to be seen fighting for their base and oppose President Trump and Musk.
But this is usually the darkest before dawn.
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Democrats have to go to the mat or try to save something before the government funding deadline before 11:59:59 PM ET.
Democrats may demand a vote on the amendment’s universe, which is not passed. But at least Democrats can save faces – telling their loyalists that they fight for their values and try to stand with the president and Musk. They can also prove that closures are worse than keeping government open.
Fox was told that the senator was interested in voting on the following topics:
- Restore funds from Washington, D.C.
- Restricting the government’s governor and/or efforts to “seize” funds that have been allocated by Congress
- A month of democracy, Fixed-out spending bill
Fetterman seems to be the only Democrat willing to vote for the GOP temporary spending bill, but Thursday, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) announced that he would vote for it. Yes Possible Voting for a set of amendments Can Release some Democrats to vote in order to violate the bill.
But tensions are high now.
Journalists attended a meeting where Senate Democrats talked about the shutdown and heard about who they thought was Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand, DN.Y. , he screamed to his colleagues through the thick walls of the Capitol.
Several Senate Democrats remained completely silent as they left behind a long Senate Democratic caucus. None of the close senators of Fox were willing to speak–even in other cases some were very frivolous. In fact, Fox even asked several Democrats if they were told not to say anything. Some answers “no comments”.

Senator John Fetterman spoke with reporters at Russell Building after a Senate vote Wednesday, February 19, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc, via Getty Images)
Quietness on Capitol Hill usually means something is happening and lawmakers are trying to promote a very fragile deal. This also means that legislators are smoking.
Democrats are genuinely worried that the shutdown could permanently harm the federal government and could trigger layoffs from thousands of federal workers.
Here is another question: If the government shuts down, no one is sure how to reopen. It’s about mathematics. In this case, calculus simply does not pass the same bill for the House and Senate and reopen the government. That calculus doesn’t seem to work at all.
That’s why Schumer decided to support the Band-Aid Spend bill – so the risk.

Schumer and Trump. (AP/Getty image)
That’s why multiple Senate Democrats refused to say anything about Schumer’s comments told them at today’s closed-door caucus meeting. That’s why the grumpy and Sen. Kirstin Gillibran (DN.Y.) yelled on the thick Senate walls.
But this is not without its dangers for Schumer.
He needs to convince six other Democrats (eight in total) to support overcoming the fil words.
There are 53 Senate Republicans. 60 votes are required to avoid fl sway.
Senator Rand Paul (r-ky.) is one. So the deficit is eight. Schumer and Sen. John Fetterman (D-penn.) are the first two Democrats who are willing to vote to overcome the battle. Therefore, Schumer needs six more.
If he can’t find these votes, the government will shut down. Schumer will make a huge tactical mistake.
As the saying goes, a leader without a follower is just a person taking a walk.
Former House Speaker John Boehner once said that when Congress held more than three consecutive sessions, “nothing is good.”
Members become angry. Antsy. Very short temper.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (Rs.D.) noted that the Senate has met Ten consecutive weeks.
“Senators have seen each other a lot lately. Actually, too many,” Thun said.
These include three overnight meetings and weekend meetings. This period was the longest week of Senate activities in 15 years.
The Senate is scheduled to make its first last week next week this year. The government shuts down garbage. The senators could hardly see their families. It’s a crazy pace.
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That’s why Washington’s most powerful people can speak on the final speech of government funding: Senate spouses.
And if the Senate is consistent with the House, they will avoid a government shutdown.
But barely.