Senate Republicans Slam House Chaos as Government Shutdown Looms

Senate Republicans expressed deep frustration on Thursday over what they described as the chaotic dysfunction in the House of Representatives.

With two government funding proposals rejected this week, Washington is teetering on the edge of a government shutdown, and lawmakers appear no closer to reaching a resolution before the Friday night deadline.

“This is so dysfunctional and so distracting from the things we should be doing,” lamented Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), though he held out hope for a last-minute deal to avoid a shutdown. As of Thursday evening, however, there was no clear path forward.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), a staunch Trump ally, was blunt about the collapse of Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) revised funding proposal, referred to as “plan B.” “Shut it down. That’s what’s going to happen,” Tuberville said, expressing little optimism. He also downplayed the impact of a shutdown, asserting that federal workers “are going to get paid anyway.”

Tuberville sidestepped questions about whether President-elect Donald Trump still supported Johnson’s leadership in the House. “We’ll see after this fiasco,” he said, signaling uncertainty over Johnson’s future as Speaker.

Meanwhile, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) signaled his opposition to Johnson’s funding proposal, criticizing its inclusion of a debt ceiling increase without significant spending cuts. Johnson’s bill would have raised new spending by $110 billion and lifted the debt ceiling by over $4 trillion—measures that conservative lawmakers found unacceptable.

Johnson’s initial 1,547-page spending deal was derailed earlier in the week after Trump criticized it, urging House Republicans to reject it and demand stricter fiscal measures. The rejection prompted Johnson to propose a slimmer, 116-page bill that included $100 billion in disaster relief and $10 billion in farm aid.

However, this revised plan faced swift opposition and was deemed “laughable” by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). During a closed-door meeting, Democratic lawmakers were reportedly chanting “hell no” in response to the proposal. The bill ultimately failed in the House with a vote of 174-235-1.

The impasse left Senate Republicans increasingly alarmed. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, warned that Congress was “dangerously close” to a shutdown.

She suggested passing a clean three-week continuing resolution to keep the government funded through Christmas. “My number one goal is to prevent a government shutdown,” Collins emphasized.

However, Republican senators from states affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton opposed any funding bill that didn’t include full disaster relief.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) criticized Johnson’s proposed $10 billion disaster package as inadequate, arguing it fell far short of the urgent needs. “We know what the need is today. It needs to be in a package to get my support,” Tillis stated. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) echoed these concerns, emphasizing the devastation in South Carolina caused by recent storms. “Disaster relief is an absolute must to get my vote,” Graham declared.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) urged Johnson to return to the broader bipartisan deal originally proposed, which included comprehensive funding provisions.

“It’s time to go back to the bipartisan agreement we came to,” Schumer said, insisting that Congress should prioritize avoiding a shutdown over partisan disagreements.

As the deadline approaches, lawmakers face mounting pressure to break the gridlock. With little time left, the possibility of a government shutdown looms large, leaving federal workers, disaster relief efforts, and other critical programs in jeopardy.