Government Shutdown Showdown
September 25, 2025 | Washington, D.C.
by Tabitha Walter, Executive Director, Eagle Forum
Federal Lawmakers Face Fiscal Deadline — Will Government Shut Down?
In 1974, the Congressional Budget Act (CBA) was passed, setting the framework for the current budget and government spending process. The CBA requires Congress to pass both a budget and 12 appropriations bills by September 30 of each year. The President must then sign each of the spending bills into law.
Over 50 years later, this lofty process has only been accomplished 4 times. Lawmakers have missed deadlines and resorted to omni- or minibuses (combining two or more appropriations bills together), continuing resolutions (CR), or government shutdowns. Worse of all, the government’s reckless spending has repeatedly been ignored.
Once again, Congress has just days remaining until the end of the fiscal year with no appropriations bill passed, and it must weigh its options to keep the federal government functioning.
House Republicans have truly made an effort to pass all 12 appropriations bills. The full tranche was voted out of the House Appropriations Committee, but only 3 of those bills received a vote on the House floor. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved 8 appropriations bills, with 3 passing on the Senate floor. The House bills were notably more conservative than the Senate bills, with provisions such as prohibiting the harvesting of THC in hemp, protecting taxpayer dollars from paying for abortions, banning gender mutilation on minors, eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices, and removing COVID-era mandates. Despite the Senate’s weakened language in its bills, Democrats could not be convinced to vote in favor of all the bills.
Last week, the House took a vote on a short-term CR set to expire November 21st of this year, which simply continues the funding levels of the previously passed government funding bill. Due to the recent uptick in political violence, an additional $88 million was added for security for Members of all branches of government. The CR passed 217-212 with only one Democrat voting in favor. Shortly after the vote, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) adjourned the House of Representatives until October 1st, signaling to the Senate that they are responsible for getting the bill across the deadline before the government shuts down. Even though the vote in the Senate happened the same day, it failed by a 44-48 vote, with several Senators not voting. Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) eventually adjourned until September 29th.
Ironically, there is nothing in the CR that Democrats oppose. Instead, they want to add back in the fraud and waste that was cut by the One Big, Beautiful Bill and the rescission package. They also want the money earmarked for left-wing ideologies.
For example, $6.6 million was earmarked in appropriations bills for 3 separate hospitals and clinics that push hormone blockers and gender transition surgeries onto minors. Nearly $5.5 million was earmarked for 3 facilities that perform abortions. Additionally, a whopping $5 million was earmarked for the New York Stem Cell Foundation, which performs experimental cloning procedures on IVF embryos.
Democrats have an even bigger ask, though. They are vying for an expansion of the COVID-era subsidies for insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act (known as “Obamacare”). In 2014, 4 years after Obamacare was passed, tax credits were paid in advance to insurance companies to reduce the premiums a customer would otherwise pay. During the COVID pandemic, the Biden administration temporarily expanded the number of people who could benefit from these credits by eliminating the maximum income limit for eligibility, as well as the individual expected premium contribution. Households making over $500,000 per year were then eligible to have a reduced premium. The Inflation Reduction Act then continued the Biden COVID credits for 3 more years, set to expire in December of this year. If these credits are renewed, it would add $40 billion to our national debt each year. This “temporary” subsidy has drained our taxpayer dollars for too long.
Not only would these tax credits aid in ravaging our economy, but they would also fund big abortion giants and fund gender mutilation on minors. The insurance under the Affordable Care Act is not subject to the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits taxpayer funding of abortions. Family Research Council and Charlotte Lozier Institute found that 59% of Obamacare plans pay for elective abortions. Many of these plans paid for gender transition procedures as well, which the Trump administration has tried to put to a stop.
On Monday, President Trump agreed to meet with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). However, less than 24 hours later, he canceled the meeting after reading a letter outlining the ridiculous demands of House and Senate Democrats. He posted on Truth Social, in part:
They are threatening to shut down the Government of the United States unless they can have over $1 Trillion Dollars in new spending to continue free healthcare for Illegal Aliens (A monumental cost!), force Taxpayers to fund Transgender surgery for minors, have dead people on the Medicaid rolls, allow Illegal Alien Criminals to steal Billions of Dollars in American Taxpayer Benefits, try to force our Country to again open our Borders to Criminals and to the World, allow men to play in women’s sports, and essentially create Transgender operations for everybody… We must keep the Government open and legislate like true Patriots rather than hold American Citizens hostage…
Senators have indicated that a deal may be in play. Instead of letting the credits expire, they may propose reforming the entire program. Senate Republicans are considering the elimination of zero-premium plans that are fraud-ridden, which would make all ACA enrollees pay a minimum premium. Eagle Forum joined a letter drafted by Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, highlighting the ills of these tax credits and urging Members of Congress to, at the very least, add the Hyde amendment to any type of renewal. Ultimately, allowing the tax credits to expire is the best path forward. Fortunately, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is reluctant to address this matter in a government funding vehicle like the CR.
While a CR isn’t ideal, it is the only vehicle to keep the government open at this point. With only slight Republican majorities in the House and Senate, getting 12 fiscally conservative appropriations bills to the President’s desk is an impossible task. However, we are on the heels of mid-term elections that could increase the number of bold, conservative members in the House and Senate. More Members in the majority could result in more fiscal sanity.
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