Republicans plan short-term funding extension, daring Democrats on shutdown

House Republicans plan to try to extend government funding through Nov. 21 to buy more time for bipartisan spending negotiations and avoid an Oct. 1 federal shutdown.

But that move still might not keep the government open. GOP leaders are not planning to include Democratic health care priorities, such as an extension of Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies set to expire at the end of the year – setting up a choice for Democrats, whose votes will be needed in the Senate, between a short-term extension that they had little input on or a government shutdown.

Republicans say they intended to make the funding extension, known as a continuing resolution, as “clean” as possible, meaning it does not include policy priorities favorable to either side. It does include a bipartisan agreement to spend more on security for lawmakers after the deadly shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, and another provision to allow D.C. to use its locally raised funds – reversing a measure from March that has prevented the District from spending about $1 billion of its own money.

“We need responsible options here to keep the government open while all this work continues, and Republicans are committed to making that happen,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) told reporters Tuesday. “Predictably and unfortunately, there are some Democrats who are openly pining for a government shutdown.”

Democrats have signaled that they will not vote to keep the government open unless Republicans negotiate with them over policy priorities.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) told the Washington Post last week that Democrats would insist that Republicans reverse the Medicaid cuts they passed in July, extend Obamacare subsidies and undo the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Institutes of Health.

Any potential funding extension would require bipartisan support to secure the 60 votes needed in the Senate to avoid a potential filibuster.

“By refusing to sit down with Democrats, Republicans are telling the American people they’re happy to help Donald Trump burn this country down and they’re happy to let the government shut down,” Schumer told reporters Tuesday.

Both Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) have indicated they may be open to negotiating an extension to the federal subsidies for health insurance plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, but they say it should be considered through separate legislation. Some moderate Republicans support the subsidies, while ultraconservative House Republicans have said they would block the funding extension if it included the ACA money.

Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) struck an agreement Tuesday morning to add $30 million as part of the continuing resolution to a fund that would allow Capitol Police to reimburse local law enforcement for providing security to lawmakers when they are home in their districts. The measure also includes $28 million for security for Supreme Court justices and $30 million for executive branch security.

However, some Democrats have said that they still plan to vote against a funding extension that includes additional measures for lawmaker security, arguing that there is no reason to support a measure that would give them additional security but not improve health care for constituents. Jeffries himself indicated that the security agreement was not enough to get House Democrats’ votes during a weekly closed-door meeting, according to people in the room who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting.

But it’s also not clear that a short-term funding extension can pass the GOP-controlled House, even if Democrats aren’t the holdup.

If all House Democrats vote against a funding extension, House Republicans can lose only two votes from their own party and still approve it. At least four House Republicans have already said they may vote against a funding extension, arguing it will lead to a massive year-end appropriations bill covering multiple government agencies known as an omnibus.

“I can’t wait to see how voting for the CR becomes a Trump loyalty test. When in all actual reality, it’s a disloyalty to him by passing a Biden policy laden omnibus,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) wrote Monday on X, acknowledging that President Donald Trump will probably end up twisting arms to flip key votes. “By continuing to pass CR’s, those that demand it and support it, are making Trump a temporary president with temporary policies.”

The Trump administration had proposed a longer funding extension through Jan. 31, but the president urged Republicans on Monday to back a short-term measure.

“Congressional Republicans, including Leader John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson, are working on a short term ‘CLEAN’ extension of Government Funding to stop Cryin’ Chuck Schumer from shutting down the Government,” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social. “In times like these, Republicans have to stick TOGETHER to fight back against the Radical Left Democrat demands, and vote ‘YES!’ on both Votes needed to pass a Clean CR this week out of the House of Representatives.”