August recess can't hide tensions ahead for Congress on spending and
Trump nominations
[August 05, 2025]
By KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers have left Washington for the annual August
recess, but a few weeks of relative quiet on the U.S. Capitol grounds
can't mask the partisan tensions that are brewing on government funding
and President Donald Trump's nominees. It could make for a momentous
September.
Here's a look at what's ahead when lawmakers return following the Labor
Day holiday.
A bitter spending battle ahead
Lawmakers will use much of September to work on spending bills for the
coming budget year, which begins Oct. 1. They likely will need to pass a
short-term spending measure to keep the government funded for a few
weeks while they work on a longer-term measure that covers the full
year.
It's not unusual for leaders from both parties to blame the other party
for a potential shutdown, but the rhetoric began extra early this year,
signaling the threat of a stoppage is more serious than usual.
On Monday, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic
leader Hakeem Jeffries sent their Republican counterparts a
sharply-worded letter calling for a meeting to discuss “the government
funding deadline and the health care crisis you have visited upon the
American people.”
They said it will take bipartisanship to avert a “painful, unnecessary
shutdown.”
“Yet it is clear that the Trump Administration and many in your party
are preparing to go it alone and continue to legislate on a solely
Republican basis,” said the letter sent to Senate Majority Leader John
Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Republicans have taken note of the warnings and are portraying the
Democrats as itching for a shutdown they hope to blame on the GOP.
“It was disturbing to hear the Democrat leader threaten to shut down the
government in his July 8 Dear Colleague letter," Thune said on Saturday.
“... I really hope that Democrats will not embrace that position but
will continue to work with Republicans to fund the government."
Different approaches from the House and Senate
So far, the House has approved two of the 12 annual spending bills,
mostly along party lines. The Senate has passed three on a strongly
bipartisan basis. The House is pursuing steep, non-defense spending
cuts. The Senate is rejecting many of those cuts. One side will have to
give. And any final bill will need some Democratic support to generate
the 60 votes necessary to get a spending measure to the finish line.
Some Democratic senators are also wanting assurances from Republicans
that there won't be more efforts in the coming weeks to claw back or
cancel funding already approved by Congress.
“If Republicans want to make a deal, then let’s make a deal, but only if
Republicans include an agreement they won’t take back that deal a few
weeks later,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.
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The U.S. Capitol is reflected in a puddle outside of the Rayburn
House Office Building, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, on Capitol Hill in
Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., a veteran member of the House
Appropriations committee, said the Democratic minority in both
chambers has suffered so many legislative losses this year, “that
they are stuck between a rock and their voting base.” Democrats may
want to demonstrate more resistance to Trump, but they would rue a
shutdown, he warned.
“The reality would be, if the government were shut down, the
administration, Donald Trump, would have the ability to decide where
to spend and not spend,” Fleischmann said. “Schumer knows that,
Jeffries knows that. We know that. I think it would be much more
productive if we start talking about a short-term (continuing
resolution.)”
Republican angry about pace of nominations
Republicans are considering changes to Senate rules to get more of
Trump's nominees confirmed.
Thune said last week that during the same point in Joe Biden's
presidency, 49 of his 121 civilians nominees had been confirmed on
an expedited basis through a voice vote or a unanimous consent
request. Trump has had none of his civilian nominees confirmed on an
expedited basis. Democrats have insisted on roll call votes for all
of them, a lengthy process than can take days.
“I think they’re desperately in need of change,” Thune said of
Senate rules for considering nominees. “I think that the last six
months have demonstrated that this process, nominations is broken.
And so I expect there will be some good robust conversations about
that.”
Schumer said a rules change would be a “huge mistake,” especially as
Senate Republicans will need Democratic votes to pass spending bills
and other legislation moving forward.
The Senate held a rare weekend session as Republicans worked to get
more of Trump's nominees confirmed. Negotiations focused on
advancing dozens of additional Trump nominees in exchange for some
concessions on releasing some already approved spending.
At times, lawmakers spoke of progress on a potential deal. But it
was clear that there would be no agreement when Trump attacked
Schumer on social media Saturday evening and told Republicans to
pack it up and go home.
“Tell Schumer, who is under tremendous political pressure from
within his own party, the Radical Left Lunatics, to GO TO HELL!”
Trump posted on Truth Social.
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Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Joey Cappelletti
contributed to this report.
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