The GOP's Continuing Resolution – It’s Not About Spending. It’s About Power.

Yesterday, March 11, 2025, the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through September. Now, the bill moves to the Senate, where Democrats face a choice: filibuster and force a shutdown, or allow it to pass and surrender congressional power. The bill includes the usual partisan priorities—Republicans increasing defense and border security funding while cutting domestic programs—but buried within it is something far more consequential: a first-time structural shift in power.

If passed, it would strip Congress of significant authority over previously allocated federal spending, handing Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency the legal framework to accelerate their agenda of disruption and dismantling initiatives already funded by congress.

The bill is a political trap. If Democrats vote for it, they accept spending cuts in social programs and a loss of congressional power. If they vote against it, the government shuts down, and Republicans will blame them for the economic consequences.

Either way, Republicans get what they want, and Democrats don’t.

Conflicting Agendas

At its core, this bill forces a confrontation between two fundamentally different approaches to governance.

Republicans, particularly under Trump, thrive on disruption and dismantling institutions. They see government as an obstacle, not an instrument for stability.
Democrats prioritize institutional and economic stability. They aim to ensure government functions predictably, preserving congressional oversight, maintaining public services, and protecting economic stability.

In a normal political process, compromise between these positions would shape policy. But this bill isn’t a negotiation—it’s a strategic weapon designed to force Democrats into crisis while Republicans maintain control of the outcome.

The No-Win Choice for Democrats

Senate Democrats are now forced to decide between two bad options:

Vote for the bill.
- Congress surrenders additional control over federal spending, handing it to the executive branch—particularly Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency—giving them even more power to accelerate government dismantling.
- Domestic programs suffer deep cuts, reducing support for healthcare, education, and social services—core Democratic priorities.
- The precedent is set for future spending fights, further weakening congressional authority.
Vote against the bill.
- The government shuts down, disrupting essential services and the economy.
- Republicans blame Democrats for the crisis.
- The shutdown weakens federal agencies, accelerating Republican efforts to shrink government functions and erode institutional capacity.

No matter the outcome, Democrats fail to achieve their objective of maintaining government and economic stability. Meanwhile, Republicans advance their agenda either way.

A Bigger Strategy at Play

This isn’t just about a spending bill—it’s a calculated power move by Republicans, designed to force Democrats into submission while bypassing negotiations entirely.

By tying significant policy shifts to must-pass legislation, Republicans force Democrats into impossible positions.
The GOP benefits from crisis-driven governance, using manufactured instability to justify further power grabs.
By stripping congressional oversight from previously allocated federal spending, they create a dangerous precedent—one that could cement executive control over the budget, paving the way for any future administration to reshape government with minimal congressional oversight.

The implications go beyond this moment. If Democrats continue to play by the old rules—assuming good faith negotiations and institutional respect—they will keep losing ground.

What Comes Next?

The Senate is now the battleground. Democrats must decide whether to take the immediate hit by allowing a shutdown or concede more control over federal spending and power to the executive branch. Neither choice is good, and this bill is just the beginning. The real battle is over who controls the future of government itself.

If you were in the Senate today, how would you vote? And more importantly—how do you fight a game where the rules are designed for you to lose?