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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
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A group of conservative House members will go to the White House on Wednesday to talk about how to keep the government from shutting down.
“It’s a meeting with the House Freedom Caucus leadership, and then a few of the people who philosophically share our feelings about the fiscal situation,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital. “And we’re going to hear what the president has to say.”
After a fight within the GOP, House Republicans took the first step toward advancing President Trump’s agenda through the budget reconciliation process. Now, another fight over money is coming up, Fox News noted.
Congress has put off talks about funding the government for fiscal year 2025 twice since the new fiscal year started on October 1, 2024. They did this by passing a continuing resolution, which is a short-term fix for funding that keeps federal spending at the same level for another year.
The government could shut down in part under Trump’s watch if Congress doesn’t do something by March 14. But to avoid that, the leaders of the GOP want to pass another continuing resolution that would keep the government open until the end of fiscal year 2025.
But Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on anything because the left wants the resolution to include guarantees that Trump won’t go against Congress and spend less money than what’s authorized.
Since the Republicans took over the House in January 2023, every continuing resolution has needed votes from Democrats to pass. And with a very small majority, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., doesn’t have to lose many votes to get something done with only GOP support.
Trump has said something about it and asked Republicans to pass a “clean” extension of last year’s funds that lasts until the end of the fiscal year.
That’s what Republican leaders are hoping will be enough to change the minds of conservatives and other GOP lawmakers who normally are against continuing resolutions.
That’s why a group of these lawmakers will be at the White House on Wednesday.
“I’m hopeful we can get this off the ground,” Harris said. “But, again, it’s going to involve all hands on deck in the Republican conference in the House.”
Another member of the House Freedom Caucus, Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who usually votes against continuing resolutions, said he might be willing to support this latest attempt.
Norman, who is scheduled to visit the White House on Wednesday, expressed optimism that Trump’s initiative to reduce government waste could open a new avenue for Republicans who are against a continuing resolution to feel at ease.
“I will be part of the group, and we’ll be talking with the president,” Norman said. “It’s real important to keep his momentum going. It’s a new day with the DOGE cuts. (Continuing resolutions) a lot of us don’t like. We haven’t voted for them in the past. Today is different, and I think we’ll pass the vote.
“If we have to get Democrats, that’s not a good sign. And I don’t think we have to, nor should we. And there’s no one better to sell a program or a point of view than Donald Trump.”
It wasn’t clear from Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, if he would go to the meeting, but he did say that he agreed with Trump’s position on a continuing resolution.
Roy, who is in charge of policy for the House Freedom Caucus, has effectively become a go-between for Republican leaders and the most conservative members of the House GOP Conference.
“I have publicly said that I’m happy to support the president’s request to have a (continuing resolution) the next six months, provided that it’s clean, provided that it is at current levels or below,” Roy said. “I’m not going to talk about private meetings and what I’ve been invited to, but let’s say I’m in close contact with the White House.”