Senate Faces Showdown Over Funding Bill to Avoid Government Shutdown

Democrats and Republicans clash over a House-passed spending bill as the Friday midnight deadline looms.

The House passed a Republican-led funding bill on Tuesday to keep the government running through September, but it faces opposition in the Senate due to significant spending cuts and lack of bipartisan input.
Democrats are pushing for a 30-day stopgap funding bill instead, arguing it would allow more time for negotiations, but its chances of passage are slim in the Republican-controlled Congress.
The proposed funding bill includes $8 billion in additional defense spending and cuts $13 billion from non-defense programs, including reductions in social services and federal workforce budgets.
A government shutdown would furlough federal employees, delay services, and potentially harm the U.S. economy, with experts warning of increased uncertainty and recession risks if the shutdown is prolonged.
Senate Republicans need at least seven Democratic votes to advance the bill past a 60-vote filibuster threshold, but most Democrats remain opposed, citing concerns over the bill's empowerment of Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.