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Trick or Treat: Congress faces ‘chamber of horrors’ as government funding deadline looms
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It was mid-July. And the House of Representatives was already done for the summer.
That’s right around the same time Halloween decorations like gigantic yard skeletons and Reese’s peanut butter and chocolate pumpkins began materializing in stores.
Those weren’t phantasms. Halloween is the next big consumer holiday on the calendar.
I mean, what would you buy to decorate for Labor Day?
But there’s a spooky alignment between July and Halloween when it comes to Congress. If you begin to see Halloween paraphernalia in July, that’s practically October in Capitol Hill terms. The reason? Congress didn’t finish its annual spending bills before the annual August recess and that means it will be a sprint to finish them by October 1, the deadline to avoid a government shutdown.
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Right around the same time that the rest of the nation starts thinking about ghosts and goblins for Halloween.
The funding deadline is enough to convert the U.S. Capitol into a chamber of horrors for the entire month of September. Congress is always dragging to complete spending measures in July. Then August comes and concerns about the spending bills vanish like a ghost. Then the appropriations bills rise like mummies out of their coffins when Congress comes back in September. The battle over averting a government shutdown is like a vampire. It sucks most other legislative activity out of Congress until there’s a deal. That’s because most Members want no part of a government shutdown. Lawmakers from both sides know that government funding is one of the most important inflection points on the political calendar.
Let’s examine where we stand with government funding.
Congress approved a stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown in March. That interim spending package funded the government through September 30, the end of the federal fiscal year. The House approved the bill. But lawmakers worried about a potential government shutdown because breaking a filibuster on the measure required 60 votes. That entailed support of some Democrats since Republicans only have 53 votes in the Senate.
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) delivers a statement on the Israeli museum shooting that left two Israeli Embassy staffers dead after holding a press conference on the House passage of the tax and spending bill, at the U.S. Capitol on May 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
At the last minute, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced he would help Republicans crack the filibuster. Schumer didn’t vote yes on the bill itself. But the New York Democrat argued that avoiding a shutdown at that point was better than enduring one under President Trump – and Elon Musk who was then fully empowered at DOGE.
Some longtime Capitol Hill hands and Congressional observers feared the government might shutter for a lengthy period if it closed. Schumer and other Democrats asserted that the President and Musk would use that as justification for never re-opening some parts of the government since they lacked funding from Congress.
Progressives excoriated Schumer for not extracting a major concession from President Trump and Congressional Republicans which reflected Democratic values and priorities. Liberals used Schumer’s decision as justification to demand new Democratic leadership in the Senate. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., appeared to seethe at Schumer’s maneuver, sidestepping questions from reporters about the break.
White House Budget Director Russ Vought says he wants a less bipartisan appropriations process. That’s fine. But this is about the math. House Republicans must stick together to pass any spending package there. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can only lose three votes and still pass a bill without Democratic assistance. Likewise, Senate Republicans can only lose three votes there, too. But the real hurdle is the filibuster. That’s where 60 votes are necessary. And that means the GOP must lean on Democrats – assuming they’re willing to help out.
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It’s really unclear if Republicans can stick together to approve a spending package. Keep in mind that it’s almost a certainty that any spending measure must simply renew all current funding on a temporary basis. A lot of Republicans are fed up with this appropriations rut – especially since Johnson promised to do things differently once he claimed the Speaker’s gavel in October 2023. Remember that some conservatives helped bounce former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., less than two years ago because he propounded an interim spending plan.
Some Republicans are beginning to lose patience with Johnson on spending plans. But remember that most Republicans will support whatever appropriations plan the GOP brass concocts – as long as it has the blessing of President Trump.
U.S. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) (L) talks to Rep.-elect Matt Gaetz (R-FL) in the House Chamber after Gaetz voted present during the fourth day of voting for Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 06, 2023 in Washington, DC. ( Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
So Vought may advocate for a more partisan process. But that won’t result in policy achievements and GOP spending priorities unless Republicans convince Democrats to play ball.
Here’s another dynamic: some members of the conservative Freedom Caucus are hinting they simply want to re-up the current levels of funding again. Yes, lawmakers approved those spending plans under President Biden and a Democratic Senate. Therefore, much of the federal government is still operating under Democratic spending blueprints. But Democrats would demand more money for the next spending round. The same with some Republicans. So voting to renew the old money – regardless of who pushed for it – is less than Congress could have spent. That’s why some Freedom Caucus members suggest this would serve as a de facto spending cut.
They’re not wrong. Federal spending is almost always on an upward trajectory. This would level things off and bend the annual spending curve for the first time in decades.
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So, if your goal is to trim funding, this may be the most plausible option under the present political circumstances.
Remember, it’s about the math.
Moreover, Republicans have only approved a pittance of the funding cuts demanded by DOGE. Congress passed a bill to slash $9 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and foreign aid. That’s not a lot. And Republicans could barely approve that bill. How they rescind other funding remains to be seen. However, Republicans could greenlight all the old money – and then promise budget hawks they will attempt to claw back other tranches of spending through future recissions packages later in the fall or winter.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, arrives to speak to members of the media at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, July 17, 2025. Republicans are set to succeed in their decades-long quest to end federal funding for public broadcasting after the Senate passed a $9 billion package of cuts derived from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency effort. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
But Democrats won’t go for that. They’d view that as Republicans dropping a Hershey’s bar in their trick or treat bag – and then exchanging it for a rock.
It’s unclear if Democrats have explored soaping the Republicans’ windows at the Capitol this fall if Republicans attempt that gambit. But this could be a chance to find out.
That brings us to the conundrum facing Schumer. One might question how the politics have changed since March – although President Trump and Musk are no longer in league with one another. But progressives will expect Schumer to demand a king’s ransom in exchange for Democratic votes breaking a filibuster.
In other words, both Johnson and Schumer face decisions of frightening proportions very soon.
It may seem as though October 1 is a long way down the calendar. It’s not. To ignore how complicated this may become is the legislative equivalent of whistling past the graveyard.
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This is going to become a rather spooky fall when it comes to funding the government.
Makes you want to just sit in the corner, pull a blanket up over your head and devour a bag of Halloween candy.
republicans,budget,democrats,politics,congress,mike johnson,donald trump
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The architect of former President Bill Clinton’s political rise offered a profane preview of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, claiming he will face a «public humiliation» by November.
James Carville, known as the ‘Ragin Cajun’ for his raucous demeanor, claimed every member of Trump’s administration except top adviser Stephen Miller «hates» him. He delivered the remarks on the Politicon YouTube channel he shares with journalist Al Hunt.
«However bad you think this is, however much you see people in your own inner circle, in your military, in your staff, in your Congress, attorney on you, it’s just starting,» Carville said.
«You know how miserable you’re going to be in November? You know, how f—ing miserable you are? Tens of millions of American people get a chance to tell you exactly what they think of you.»
Democratic strategist James Carville doubled down this week after he was called out for predicting Trump’s imminent collapse in February. (AP/»Politics War Room»)
He addressed Trump as if he were watching, telling him to «sit still while I’m talking to you» and advising that «everybody is stabbing you in the back» before calling him a «fat, sorry, sack of s—.»
He claimed the Pentagon has begun, or will begin, leaking information to hurt Trump «because your boy Pete can’t control s—,» in an apparent reference to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
«You can’t trust anyone: trust no one, right. OK, maybe Stephen Miller, I’ll give you that one. The Congress can’t stand you. They’re not going to pass s— for you. They hate you. They know you’re going to bring them to staggering defeat.»
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James Carville speaks onstage during Election Night Live With Brian Williams at Amazon Studios on November 05, 2024, in Culver City, California. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Amazon Studios)
Carville also claimed Congress is in disarray, alleging that his fellow Louisianan Mike Johnson «doesn’t know whether to wind his a– or scratch his watch.»
«You are the most unpopular president at this point in your term that we’ve ever had. They don’t like you. You understand that? They don’t like you. They don’t like the way you smell and the way that you look. They don’t like your fat stomach. They don ‘t like your stupid combover,» Carville said, referring to the American people.
He also referenced the fact that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia ultimately decided to stop seeking prosecution of six federal lawmakers led by Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who produced a video advising service members they can refuse lawful orders.
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«When you lose Judge Jeanine… that’s kind of horrible,» he said, referring to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who is a former judge in Westchester County, N.Y. and ex-Fox News host.
«You’re in the process of getting the living s— kicked out of you. And how bad do you think this is? However much you see people in your own inner circle, in your military, your own staff, and your own Congress attorney on you. It’s just starting.»
Carville closed by wishing Trump «good health» but warned him a «public humiliation is happening as we speak.»
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«People [will] tell you exactly what the f— they think of you, and I got news for you, it ain’t very good,» he said.
In response, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson called Carville an «irrelevant loser» who «rambles to an audience of no one.»
«This is a sad example of late stage Trump Derangement Syndrome,» Jackson told Fox News Digital.
«President Trump is focused on delivering on his many promises for the American people — driving down costs, tackling Bidenflation, deporting criminal illegal aliens, lowering crime rates, and more,» she added.
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pete hegseth,state of the union,the clintons,donald trump,white house,politics
El presidente de Donald Trump aseguró este martes ante el Congreso que Estados Unidos recibió más de 80 millones de barriles de crudo provenientes de Venezuela, a la que definió como “nuestro nuevo amigo y socio”.
El mandatario afirmó además que el país atraviesa el período de mayor control fronterizo de su historia reciente, como parte de los logros que atribuyó a su segundo mandato.
Leé también: Trump desafía a la Corte Suprema de EE.UU. y anuncia un nuevo arancel global del 10% a las importaciones El presidente de Donald Trump llega al Capitolio para brindar su discurso sobre el estado de la Unión ante el Congreso. (Foto: EFE/EPA/Jim Lo Salzo).
Petróleo venezolano y balance económico
Durante su discurso sobre el estado de la Unión, Trump sostuvo que la producción de petróleo estadounidense aumentó en más de 600.000 barriles diarios, dato que presentó como evidencia del éxito de su política económica y energética.
En ese contexto, recordó que tras la operación militar estadounidense que derrocó y sacó de Caracas al entonces presidente venezolano Nicolás Maduro, actualmente detenido en una cárcel de Nueva York, había anunciado que Venezuela vendería a Estados Unidos entre 30 y 50 millones de barriles de crudo. Según el mandatario, el volumen finalmente recibido superó ampliamente esa cifra inicial.
Trump dice que EE. UU. tiene “la frontera más sólida” en mucho tiempo
En el inicio de su mensaje ante la sesión conjunta del Congreso, Trump afirmó que Estados Unidos tiene hoy “la frontera más sólida” que haya tenido nunca, y vinculó ese resultado directamente con su gestión.
El presidente aseguró que en el último año los cruces fronterizos cayeron a cero, que el tráfico de fentanilo se redujo un 56 % y que los datos de muertes violentas también descendieron, aunque no detalló las fuentes oficiales de esas estadísticas.
“En los últimos nueve meses han sido admitidos a Estados Unidos cero extranjeros ilegales. Pero siempre vamos a permitir personas que ingresen legalmente, gente que amará nuestro país y trabajará duro para mantener nuestra nación”, afirmó Trump en su discurso.
La política migratoria volvió a ocupar un lugar central en la agenda presidencial desde el inicio de su segundo mandato. En las últimas semanas, la muerte de dos ciudadanos estadounidenses durante protestas contra redadas migratorias en Mineápolis, en las que intervinieron agentes federales, desató una crisis política que culminó con el cierre temporal del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) y profundizó la polarización en torno a la estrategia del Gobierno en materia de inmigración.
El discurso estuvo marcado además por la ausencia de decenas de congresistas demócratas, que se retiraron en protesta por la política antimigratoria del Gobierno.
“Una remontada histórica”
El jefe de Estado norteamericano destacó que el país atraviesa una “remontada histórica”, defendió su política de seguridad y advirtió que su Gobierno está dispuesto a responder ante cualquier amenaza, incluidas las provenientes de América Latina.
Trump sostuvo que su administración está “restaurando la seguridad y la dominación de Estados Unidos en el hemisferio occidental”, y aseguró que actúa para proteger los intereses nacionales frente a la violencia, las drogas, el terrorismo y la injerencia extranjera. En ese marco, advirtió que durante años amplias zonas de la región, “incluidas grandes partes de México”, estuvieron controladas por carteles de la droga.
El mandatario destacó como hitos de su política exterior la captura del presidente venezolano Nicolás Maduro, detenido en Nueva York, en lo que definió como la primera aprehensión de un presidente latinoamericano desde la detención de Manuel Noriega en 1989. También aseguró que, el pasado fin de semana, los servicios de inteligencia estadounidenses tuvieron un rol decisivo para que el Ejército mexicano localizara y matara a Nemesio Oseguera, alias “El Mencho”, líder del Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación.
“Después de solo un año, puedo decir con dignidad y orgullo que hemos conseguido una transformación como nunca antes se había visto, y una remontada histórica”, afirmó Trump, de 79 años, en el que definió como su segundo y último mandato.
El rumbo de la economía
Trump también dedicó parte de su mensaje a la economía. Reconoció que el crecimiento de 2025 fue del 2,2%, inferior al del año previo, y que la inflación se mantiene elevada, mientras defendió su apuesta por los aranceles, pese a que la Corte Suprema anuló esa política y le recordó que cualquier modificación deberá pasar por el Congreso, fallo que el mandatario calificó como “muy desafortunado”.
En un tono más celebratorio, Trump evocó el 250º aniversario de la independencia de Estados Unidos, previsto para el próximo 4 de julio, y anunció festejos “por todo lo alto”. También invitó al equipo masculino de hockey sobre hielo que obtuvo la medalla de oro en los Juegos Olímpicos de Milán, un logro que el país no alcanzaba desde 1980, en una noche que combinó gestos patrióticos, advertencias geopolíticas y un marcado clima de confrontación política interna.
Trump advirtió que Irán desarrolla misiles que podrían golpear EE.UU.
Trumpa también aseguró que Irán busca desarrollar misiles que podrían golpear a Estados Unidos, una tecnología de armamento de largo alcance que solo tiene un número limitado de países.
“Ya han desarrollado misiles que pueden amenazar a Europa y a nuestras bases en el extranjero, y están trabajando para construir misiles que pronto alcanzarán a Estados Unidos”, declaró.
“Se les advirtió que no intentaran reconstruir su programa de armas, en particular las nucleares. Sin embargo, siguen empezando de cero”, indicó Trump.
En un momento en que Estados Unidos mantiene el despliegue militar en torno a Irán más importante en Oriente Medio desde la guerra de Irak de 2003, el presidente de Estados Unidos aseguró que “nunca tendrán un arma nuclear”.
Donald Trump, Estados Unidos, Petróleo, Venezuela
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The CIA on Tuesday published a Persian-language video on its X account calling on Iranian dissidents to make secure contact with the agency amid renewed anti-government protests inside the country.
The post came as CIA Director John Ratcliffe joined Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a classified «Gang of Eight» briefing on Iran on Capitol Hill, a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.
Written in Farsi, the CIA message says the agency «can hear your voice and wants to help you,» and provides operational guidance for those considering reaching out.
The agency urges activists not to use office computers or personal phone lines and instead, if possible, to rely on a disposable «burner» device. It advises ensuring no one can view their screen or monitor their activity.
The video walks viewers through digital security precautions designed to protect their identities.
Military members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in western Tehran, Iran (Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
It recommends using updated browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari or Firefox in Private Browsing or Incognito mode and clearing device and browser histories after making contact.
The video says the CIA also strongly encourages the use of encryption and anonymity tools such as Tor or a VPN, warning that without such protections, visiting the CIA website could be visible to Iranian security services.
The agency provides instructions for accessing its secure contact portal through Tor and other anti-filtering services.
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The state tax building burned during Iran’s protests on Jan. 19, in Tehran, Iran. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
The post comes as Iran entered its fourth day of escalating university protests and as U.S. negotiators are set to meet Iranian counterparts in Geneva Thursday for a second round of talks.
Tehran announced it would be building on «understandings forged in the previous round» and expressed determination to reach a «fair and equitable deal» swiftly.
In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran reiterated that it would «under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon,» while insisting it would not relinquish its right to peaceful nuclear technology.
Calling the moment a «historic opportunity,» Tehran said a deal was within reach if diplomacy is prioritized, while affirming it would defend its sovereignty «with courage» at home and at the negotiating table.
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Meanwhile, Iranian state television reported Tuesday that the Revolutionary Guard conducted military drills involving missile launches, drone flights and live-fire exercises along the country’s coast, according to Ynet.
Fox News Digital reached out to the CIA for comment, who had nothing further to add.
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iran,cia,military,world,armed forces,world protests,marco rubio
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