Dems release funding counterproposal full of partisan policy riders

By Thérèse Boudreaux
The Center Square

As the government shutdown deadline looms, Democrats are splitting sharply with Republicans over what kind of funding stopgap Congress should approve.

While Republicans have introduced a clean Continuing Resolution that simply extends existing federal funding levels until Nov. 21 and provides extra security for lawmakers, Democrat appropriators came out with a short-term CR that includes partisan policy rides costing an estimated $1.4 trillion.

Democrats’ counterproposal, besides putting most government funding on cruise control until Oct. 31, would reverse the major cost-cutting health care changes in Republicans’ recently-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It would also permanently extend the temporary COVID-19 era expansion of Obamacare Premium Tax Credits that are set to expire in December.

It would also nullify a major congressional rule, the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, which allows the Senate to rescind previously appropriated government funds (within a certain timeframe) by majority vote.

Republicans recently rescinded $9.4 billion in non-lifesaving foreign aid and public broadcasting funds, which Democrats’ proposal would also restore.

“Today, we are introducing a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government funded, address the health care crisis Republicans have single-handedly created, and protect Congress’ power of the purse,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said Wednesday night.

“If Republicans are willing to simply sit down and talk with Democrats, a concept most Americans understand, we can address these pressing issues affecting American families and responsibly fund the government,” the Vice Chairs of their respective chamber’s Appropriations Committee added.

Congressional leaders had bipartisanly agreed that a funding stopgap is the only viable option at this point, given the impossibility of passing all 12 annual Appropriations bills by Sept. 30, the end of fiscal year 2025.

Democrats have made health care funding the focal point of their demands for fiscal year 2026 – demands that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., have ignored.

“Republicans have advanced a clean, nonpartisan CR to keep the government funded while we continue bipartisan work on regular annual appropriations funding bills,” Thune said Thursday. “Democrats are threatening to shut down the government if Republicans don’t agree to last night’s laundry list of partisan demands…I really hope that Democrats will come to their senses.”