Katherine Cammack

Senate Democrats are in a politically precarious position after the House passed a stopgap bill to avoid a government shutdown.

More than two dozen Senate and House Republicans demand the International Olympics Committee to align with President Donald Trump's executive order banning trans athletes from women's sports.

House Republicans on Tuesday advanced their bill to avert an end-of-the-week government shutdown, teeing up a final vote on the legislation later in the day. The chamber voted 216-214 to adopt a rule — which governs debate on legislation — for Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) continuing resolution. The measure would keep the government funded through Sept. [...]

President Donald Trump is working the phones to convince House Republicans to vote for a government funding bill that would make billions in cuts to infrastructure projects, education, and veterans’ health care while also increasing funding for Trump's deportation force and allowing co-President Elon Musk to make devastating cuts to the federal budget that could crash the economy.House Republicans, who did not negotiate with Democrats on the plan, are hoping to pass the funding bill and leave town, which they think will allow them to blame a government shutdown on Senate Democrats if the Senate fails to pass the legislation before the government runs out of money on Friday at midnight. But with an extremely narrow majority, and with House Democrats in firm opposition to the plan, Republicans will have to keep their entire conference together to get the funding bill over the finish line. And that's requiring Trump to twist arms to convince the handful of GOP holdouts to vote for the bill.Trump is selling the plan to Republicans by telling them that even though the budget doesn’t make the massive cuts to federal agencies that Republicans want, co-President Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency will simply refuse to spend the money Congress is appropriating in the funding bill. Politico reported:Trump and White House officials have been telling GOP holdouts who want more spending cuts that the administration will pursue impoundment—that is, holding back federal funding already appropriated by Congress—according to two Republicans who were in a recent meeting with the president.That’s the main reason House Democrats say they firmly oppose the funding bill, and plan to vote against it en masse.“Republicans temporarily control the House, Senate and the presidency. Instead of using their majority to make life better for the American people, Donald Trump and House Republicans are crashing the economy and hurting hard-working American families. And now extreme MAGA Republicans want to shut down the government,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Tuesday. “The House Republican so-called spending bill does nothing to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Quite the opposite. The Republican bill dramatically cuts health care, nutritional assistance for children and families and veterans benefits. It is not something we could ever support.”Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of KentuckyFor now, according to Politico, Reps. Tony Gonzales, Tim Burchett, Cory Mills, Rich McCormick, Beth Van Duyne, Kat Cammack, Andy Ogles, and Brian Fitzpatrick have not yet agreed to vote for the bill. Meanwhile, Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie is a firm no.However, Ogles posted a video to X on Monday night that said that so long as the bill does not change, he will “likely support it.”And Trump is working the phones to get the rest of those lawmakers onboard—something that could happen as Republicans have shown time and again that they are too scared to be on the wrong side of their Dear Leader.Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts made that point Monday night at a House Rules Committee meeting in which Republicans teed up the funding bill for a vote as early as Tuesday before the full House."You probably will have the votes because even the so-called principled conservatives who don’t like [continuing resolutions], I think they are suffering from Victoria Spartz syndrome, where on Monday they are a hard ‘no’ and then on Tuesday they are a hard ‘yes,’" McGovern said, referring to the Indiana Republican lawmaker who said she was voting against Trump's bill to slash Medicaid funding in order to pay for tax cuts for the rich, only to turn around and vote for it.House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday said he’s confident the bill will pass, predicting that Massie will be the only Republican to vote “no.”"We'll have the votes. We're gonna pass the CR. We can do it on our own,” Johnson said at a news conference.xMike Johnson: "We'll have the votes. We're gonna pass the CR. We can do it on our own."— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-03-11T14:28:50.837ZAs the clock ticks down to Friday at midnight, when the government is set to run out of funding, Trump is growing increasingly angry at Republicans not yet on board with the plan. He publicly threatened to recruit a primary challenger against Massie, who is not expected to change his decision to vote against the funding bill."Congressman Thomas Massie, of beautiful Kentucky, is an automatic 'NO' vote on just about everything, despite the fact that he has always voted for Continuing Resolutions in the past," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. "HE SHOULD BE PRIMARIED, and I will lead the charge against him. He’s just another GRANDSTANDER, who’s too much trouble, and not worth the fight. He reminds me of Liz Chaney before her historic, record breaking fall (loss!). The people of Kentucky won’t stand for it, just watch. DO I HAVE ANY TAKERS???"(It's worth noting Trump has tried to oust Massie in a primary in the past, and failed.)Ultimately, while the government funding bill is not yet on firm ground, Republicans have a few things going for them.First, Punchbowl News reported that as many as five House Democrats could miss the vote, which would give Johnson breathing room. And never underestimate Republicans' ability to fold under pressure from Trump. Thank you to the Daily Kos community who continues to fight so hard with Daily Kos. Your reader support means everything. We will continue to have you covered and keep you informed, so please donate just $3 to help support the work we do.

Vice President Vance delivered a closing pitch in favor of Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) government funding bill during the House GOP’s private conference meeting on Tuesday, hours before the lower chamber is scheduled to vote on the measure. Members said that Vance argued that the six-month funding measure would allow the Trump administration and Department [...]

Gov. Ron DeSantis is sending Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody from Tallahassee to Washington, D.C., to fill Sen. Marco Rubio’s absence in the U.S. Senate.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday appointed state Attorney General Ashley Moody to the U.S. Senate, setting her up to fill Sen. Marco Rubio's seat when he joins the Trump administraiton.

After a Republican revolt led by Elon Musk and Donald Trump torpedoed a plan to fund the government, a new path forward remains unclear as Congress lurches toward Friday night's deadline.

Led by billionaires who have been appointed by Donald Trump to wield massive influence over his incoming administration, Republican members of Congress are rejecting a last-ditch spending bill just days before a possible government shutdown.House Speaker Mike Johnson has had to reach across the aisle for Democratic assistance to pass the continuing resolution legislation ahead of Friday, the last day before funding dries up. But hard-line Republicans in his own party have voiced their opposition to the bill, which contains economic aid for those hit by recent hurricanes and some relief for farmers.It looks like they’re taking their cues from the likes of failed presidential candidate and billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump appointed to lead the advisory (and completely unofficial) Department of Government Efficiency alongside multibillionaire Elon Musk. The obscenely wealthy duo wants the bill killed.In a TikTok video, Ramaswamy claimed that he read the entirety of the 1,500-page bill released Tuesday night “that blows away your taxpayer money.” @vivekramaswamy Congress wants to waste your money without telling you, make sure that doesn’t happen ♬ original sound - Vivek Ramaswamy ">x @vivekramaswamy Congress wants to waste your money without telling you, make sure that doesn’t happen ♬ original sound - Vivek Ramaswamy “Real-time advice to Congress: go back to the drawing board, start with a blank slate & do this the right way,” Ramswamy later wrote.Musk also voiced his displeasure with the bill Tuesday, writing, “This bill should not pass.”In a Wednesday morning appearance on Fox News, Johnson disclosed that he had been involved in a text chain with Musk and Ramaswamy overnight, trying to assuage their concerns over the legislation. Following that conversation, both billionaires have continued to attack the bill. Ramaswamy has even posted what he says should be a one-page “clean” funding bill that isn’t a “pork-fest” like the current legislation.Echoing the billionaires, Texas Sen. John Cornyn asked, “How on earth did a 3 month Continuing Resolution grow into this Cramnibus.” In response, Musk called it “a nightmare bill.”“Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” Musk wrote in a separate post. Musk spent at least $250 million to help elect Trump and has said he will put more of his immense fortune into molding the Republican Party in his image.Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene jumped on the bandwagon, writing, “I agree with @elonmusk and @VivekGRamaswamy 100% on the CR!”Similarly, Florida Rep. Kat Cammack said she was against the bill and claimed the deal is “doing credible damage” to the party.Incredibly, even Trump is now reportedly expressing his opposition to the bill, according to Axios, while Politico reports that Johnson is already weighing a spending Plan B—which leads one to wonder who is truly wielding the most influence over the GOP.Not only is the current rebellion a headache for Johnson’s immediate concerns about the bill passing, but it could hurt his bid to be reelected speaker in January, when Congress reconvenes.Rep. Thomas Massie told reporters that he will not vote for Johnson, and if others follow suit the process could echo the multiple rounds of voting that former Speaker Kevin McCarthy had to endure.The billionaires have made their demands known and some of the Republican Party’s most prominent figures are giving them what they want—even if working-class Americans have to suffer the consequences.We're right in the thick of the holiday season, and we're all tired after a long election in which we gave 110%, but this is important: Daily Kos is falling short of our final goal of the year and time is running out. Can you chip in to help us close the books on 2024?

Elon Musk joined the debate earlier, urging lawmakers to reject the 1,547 page funding measure.

Conservative lawmakers speak out against a government spending measure released at the last minute ahead of a looming partial government shutdown deadline

House Republicans are holding elections to choose their round of leaders for the 119th Congress.

Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise are pictured during the House Republican leadership post-election news conference outside the Capitol on Tuesday. House Republicans again nominated Johnson as speaker on Wednesday, and Scalise sailed to reelection as majority leader.

Control of the House has yet to be determined, but Republicans are operating as if they've secured the majority.

House Republicans are picking which leaders will represent them in the new Trump administration government next year.

WASHINGTON — Contests for Senate majority leader and the suddenly open House Republican conference chair position headline GOP leadership elections on Capitol Hill this week, with open jockeying for both posts.

'Fulfill our mandate'

A FEMA official was removed from their role after they directed disaster relief workers in Florida to avoid homes with Trump signs out front in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) said on Monday she’s “absolutely certain” Congress will consider a supplemental aid package to provide additional disaster relief to areas devastated by Hurricane Helene. Congress last week passed a continuing resolution (CR) to extend government funding at current levels until Dec. 20, but the measure excluded additional funding for FEMA disaster [...]

Democrats slammed the timing of the event, which was held at a lakefront home on Lake Virginia.

Democrats brought the bill back to the Senate floor after Republicans previously blocked the measure from advancing in June.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is reviving an IVF bill blasted by Republicans after former President Donald Trump backed a key component of it.

House Republicans are watching House Speaker Mike Johnson's handling of the government spending fight carefully as he readies to make his case to lead the conference next year.