Fight for a better Federal budget!

The Federal government shuts down on March 14 unless Congress passes a new spending bill.

Since Republicans are at loggerheads among themselves on taxes and spending, we’re now into the fifth month of the 2025 federal fiscal year without appropriations bills. In order to keep government running up to this point, Congress has passed one after another “continuing resolution” (a “CR”) – stopgap bills that continue funding until a certain future date.

Because of their slim majorities, Republicans will need Democratic votes to pass anything, but instead of negotiating in good faith, they’re pushing a MAGA budget disaster. On Saturday, House Republicans introduced a new CR that would run through the end of the 2025 fiscal year.

Their proposed long-term CR would slash essential programs, attack basic rights, and – worst of all – hand unchecked power over federal spending to Trump, Elon Musk, and their billionaire allies.

Democrats must not fold. They must stand firm and publicly demand a government funding deal that:

• Guarantees there won’t be any extreme funding cuts in essential programs and any MAGA poison pills attacking abortion rights, LGBTQ+ protections, and immigrant communities
• Guarantees real, ironclad protections to stop Trump and Musk from hijacking federal spending. The lawlessness must end – NOW.

Until Republicans agree to these terms, Democrats must vote against anything beyond a clean, two-week continuing resolution. The only real chip that Democrats have to play is their vote, and if they cave and allow the proposed CR to pass, they will simply be encouraging continued lawlessness and the establishment of an authoritarian regime.

We need to communicate to our Members of Congress our insistence that they vote AGAINST the Republican CR. They need to hear from us, because they’re undoubtedly feeling pressure to vote for it. They know that Republicans and some of the media will try to pin the blame for a government shutdown on Democrats if the CR doesn’t pass. We need to let our MOCs know that we will stand behind them for their vote against that CR even that means a temporary government shutdown.

Please call Representative Schrier and our Senators today to let them know that you are looking to them to vote NO on the Republican CR (and on any CR beyond two weeks unless it includes the guarantees outlined above) and that you will stand behind them for standing strong, even if a government shutdown results.