03/03/2025

Another U.S. Government Shutdown Looms

Meanwhile, Trump tries to assert new spending powers

Congress has less than two weeks to extend federal spending laws and keep the government open, but now a clash over President Donald Trump’s attempt to seize powers the Constitution delegates to lawmakers threatens to stall talks and force a shutdown.

Republican negotiators walked away from talks over the weekend to reach a deal on a top-line number on how much the federal government should spend for the rest of the 2025 fiscal year, which runs through Sept. 30. Democrats had said that number is irrelevant if Trump refuses to spend the money in accordance with the law — or if he empowers billionaire Elon Musk and his U.S. DOGE Service to terminate federal contracts and lay off tens of thousands of federal workers without regard to Congress' wishes.

Trump and his advisers, including budget chief Russell Vought, have argued the president has the power to withhold money that Congress orders spent, arguing that a post-Watergate law that limits that power is unconstitutional. Musk’s DOGE team has been unilaterally terminating contracts and pushing to shed federal staff.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.