Senate conservatives are threatening to derail efforts to pass bipartisan government funding bills, stoking new tensions with GOP leaders and jeopardizing Republicans’ push for the upper hand in any shutdown showdown with Democrats.
Senate Republicans are torn between members who want to cut spending using the FY2026 funding bills and are boosting the White House’s push for more rescissions versus institutionalists who want to preserve the bipartisan process.
And as Democrats flirt with forcing a Sept. 30 shutdown and hammer Republicans for backing the White House’s rescissions efforts, Senate Majority Leader John Thune wants to call their bluff by passing bipartisan bills and blaming Democrats if there’s a shutdown.
“If we have a shutdown, I would like for the first time in modern history for it to be blamed on the Democrats,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said. “The way you’re gonna do that is to create a rational, respectful proposal for them to sign onto. That is necessarily not going to achieve what I want to with spending.”
Across the Capitol, House Republicans are largely following a “skinny” budget from the White House that calls for huge cuts to social programs while boosting defense, border security and veterans’ spending. House Democrats have denounced this approach.
All of which means September is going to be a multi-front fight as each faction tries to outmaneuver the other.
Behind the curtain. The internal Senate GOP clash came to a head on Wednesday when, during a closed-door meeting, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) accused Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) of sexism, as we scooped. Johnson was railing against the spending levels Collins agreed to with Sen. Patty Murray, her Democratic counterpart.
Collins then referenced former male Appropriations Committee chairs — Republicans Thad Cochran and Richard Shelby — and said they didn’t endure the same level of “disrespect.” Collins was backed up by many of her colleagues.
“I’m not trying to butt heads with anybody,” Johnson told us of the episode. “I’m providing information that people don’t like to see.“
Collins hit back at Johnson, telling us the committee’s funding bills are “fiscally responsible” and align with Johnson’s push for a return to pre-pandemic spending levels.
“In fact, the FY2026 appropriations measures being advanced by our committee reflect nondefense budget authority levels that are below the FY2019 levels adjusted for inflation,” Collins said in a statement, adding that Johnson “fails to distinguish between budget authority and outlays.”
GOP senators are also angry at Johnson for seeking to prevent them from taking credit publicly for earmarks. Johnson has been pushing for an amendment that would bar senators from touting earmarks in press releases, advertisements and media appearances or the money would be automatically rescinded.
