Speaker Johnson Warned as GOP Lawmakers Fight Over DOGE Shutdown

As the March 14 government shutdown deadline approaches, a group of conservative House and Senate Republicans is urging Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to reject Democratic efforts to restrict the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in any new spending bill.

The lawmakers, many of whom have opposed temporary spending measures in the past, are now committing to backing a clean stopgap bill for the remainder of the fiscal year in an effort to prevent a shutdown.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD), along with several other Republican lawmakers, sent a letter to congressional leadership on Monday warning against provisions they say would undermine President Donald Trump’s authority.

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“[W]e are deeply concerned about recent reports of Democrats’ demands for a government funding agreement that would perpetuate the unsustainable status quo of wasteful spending,” the lawmakers wrote.

They also argued that any attempt to use spending legislation to weaken Trump’s ability to manage government resources must be “rejected outright.”

The letter was signed by several fiscal conservatives in both chambers who have previously opposed short-term spending bills in favor of full-year appropriations measures.

Despite their previous opposition to stopgap spending bills, the conservative lawmakers emphasized that they are prepared to work with House and Senate leadership to prevent a shutdown.

However, they warned that they will not support a funding measure that could be “weaponized against President Trump at the very moment he is seeking to make good on the promises he made to the American people.”

Speaker Johnson has pushed back against Democratic efforts to limit Trump’s authority in any spending bill, referencing the issue in a recent appearance on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures.

“Heading up to the March 14 deadline, we’ll have to probably pass a clean CR instead of separate [appropriations] bills. Why? Because the Democrats in Congress were trying to demand that as a condition of appropriations, that we would somehow tie the hands of the president, limit his authority, you know, put Elon Musk in a corner and take him off of his mission,” Johnson said.

“We’re not doing that. That’s a nonstarter, and Democrats know that, so I hope they’ll be reasonable,” he added.

President Trump has also weighed in on the spending debate, calling for a clean continuing resolution to fund the government through September.

“As usual, Sleepy Joe Biden left us a total MESS. The Budget from last YEAR is still not done. We are working very hard with the House and Senate to pass a clean, temporary government funding Bill (‘CR’) to the end of September. Let’s get it done!” Trump posted on Truth Social last month.

With the shutdown deadline looming, Democrats are pushing to ensure that any funding package prevents Trump from using DOGE to implement spending cuts or downsize the federal workforce.

Sources familiar with the discussions told Fox News that this could include specific provisions in the bill that would limit the department’s authority.

In order to pass a funding bill and avoid a shutdown, Republicans will need some level of Democratic support in the Senate, where 60 votes are required.

That means at least seven Democrats would need to vote in favor of any measure, assuming all Republicans support it.

The House only requires a simple majority, but full Republican support is not guaranteed.

As negotiations continue, Republicans are making it clear that any attempts to restrict Trump’s authority through the budget process will be met with resistance.

The outcome of these talks will determine whether the government remains open or if another funding battle leads to a partial shutdown.

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