Johnson, Thune, and Trump On Collision Course Over Approaching Shutdown
ZeroHedge, Sep 03, 2025 – Excerpts:
With just under a month until the next government shutdown (sigh), Republicans are locked in an increasingly messy internal battle over how to keep federal agencies funded, as competing strategies in the House, Senate, and White House collide over-spending priorities, foreign aid, and political leverage.
Congress has until Sept. 30 to pass new legislation to avoid a lapse in funding, but the GOP – which controls the White House, House, and Senate – remains fractured on a path forward. This isn’t just about keeping the lights on, but also the balance of power within the Republican Party itself, as President Donald Trump’s latest move to rescind nearly $5 billion in foreign aid has inflamed tensions within the Senate and complicated delicate negotiations, Punchbowl News reports.
Three Strategies, One Deadline (and no cup) – While Republicans control all levers of government, they are far from unified:
- Senate Republicans, led by Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), are pushing for bipartisan funding bills that exceed House and White House proposals by tens of billions of dollars. Thune wants to position Senate Republicans as willing partners on funding, betting he can portray Democrats as obstructionists if they refuse to cooperate.
- House Republicans, under Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), are leaning toward a short-term continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open through mid-November, buying time for broader talks on full-year appropriations.
- The White House, meanwhile, prefers a longer stopgap that would fund the government until at least the first quarter of 2026 – avoiding repeated shutdown showdowns but angering hard-line conservatives who see it as a capitulation to Democrats.
This divide sets up a high-stakes battle within the GOP and against Democrats, with each faction maneuvering to avoid taking the blame if the government shutters.
Trump’s Pocket Rescission Sparks Backlash – Fueling the chaos is President Trump’s decision to issue a “pocket rescission” canceling nearly $5 billion in congressionally approved foreign aid, a move that has enraged Senate Democrats and rattled some top Republicans.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the maneuver ‘flat-out illegal’ and said her counsel is reviewing potential legal challenges. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) warned the move could derail bipartisan negotiations….
The White House has also struck a cautiously conciliatory tone, acknowledging that a short-term CR is “increasing in likelihood” but continuing to press for a longer solution that avoids repeated deadlines.
Full article: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/johnson-thune-and-trump-collision-course-over-approaching-shutdown
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