House Freedom Caucus backs stopgap bill to avert US shutdown

Erik Wasson, Bloomberg News on Mar 10, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus threw its backing behind a stopgap funding package, bolstering Speaker Mike Johnson’s attempt to pass the bill without the help of House Democrats and avert a government shutdown on March 15.

The vote on the stopgap is set for Tuesday, and Johnson can likely only afford to lose two Republicans on the measure if Democrats line up uniformly against it.

“This bill will reduce and then freeze spending for the next six months to allow President Trump and his administration to continue their critical work within the executive branch to find and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse,” the caucus said in a statement on Monday night.

If the measure passes the House, it would require the help of at least seven Democrats to clear the Senate, where 60 votes will be needed. Already Pennsylvania moderate Democrat John Fetterman has said he would vote for a stopgap bill to prevent a shutdown.

President Donald Trump has endorsed the bill, which would add $6 billion to defense and $440 million for immigration enforcement while cutting Internal Revenue Service funds by $20 billion.

The bill also has the support of Texas Republican Chip Roy, a hardliner even within the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus. He argued the bill largely keeps spending at last year’s levels and sets up future cuts.

The Freedom Caucus, which has several dozen members, takes a position when 80% of its members agree on a bill. The endorsement gets Johnson a long way toward the vote total he needs, but there are conservatives outside the HFC who could still block the bill.

Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who is not an HFC member, has said he will vote “no,” echoing his dissenting vote on the House tax cut outline last month. That outline only passed after non-HFC holdouts Victoria Spartz of Indiana and Tim Burchett of Tennessee flipped after phone calls with Trump.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris earlier Monday predicted the stopgap funding would pass the House by just a single vote.

“I think it is going to be very close,” he said on Fox Business.

Burchett said Monday he was currently against the measure, as did Representative Rich McCormick of Georgia. Others, including moderates Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Tony Gonzales of Texas, said they were undecided.

_____

(With assistance from Billy House.)

_____