Rep. Jared Golden Breaks with Democrats to Vote with Republicans on Temporary Funding Bill

Rep. Jared Golden Breaks with Democrats to Vote with Republicans on Temporary Funding Bill

WASHINGTON — The House passed a measure on Tuesday to prevent a partial government shutdown and fund federal agencies through September, a crucial step as the bill heads to the Senate, where bipartisan support will be necessary to push it through.

Rep. Jared Golden (D-2nd District) was the sole Democrat to vote in favor of the Republican-backed legislation. Despite his party's opposition, the bill passed on a party-line vote, with Republicans maintaining enough support to push it through.

In a series of posts on the social media platform X, Golden explained his decision, saying, “This (continuing resolution) isn’t perfect, but a shutdown would be worse. Even a brief shutdown would introduce more chaos and uncertainty at a time when our country can’t afford it.”

Golden added in a follow-up post, “This CR isn’t the one I would have written. But elections have consequences.” He criticized some Democrats for using what he called “messaging gimmicks” around the bill's contents.

Maine’s other representative, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-1st District), joined the rest of her party in opposing the bill.

While Golden’s vote was notable, Republicans still needed strong support from their members to pass the measure, which was approved by a 217-213 vote in the House.

Now, the bill will need support from at least eight Senate Democrats to reach President Donald Trump’s desk. This is one of the key legislative tests of Trump’s second term, with Vice President JD Vance visiting Capitol Hill on Tuesday to rally backing.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) pushed the bill forward, urging Democrats to avoid opposing it and risk a shutdown, which would start Saturday if the bill failed to pass.

“The bottom line is, if congressional Democrats refuse to support this clean CR, they will be responsible for every troop who misses a paycheck, every flight delay from reduced staffing at TSA, and every negative consequence from a government shutdown,” Johnson warned.

Johnson’s approach had Trump’s backing, as the president urged Republicans to “remain UNITED — NO DISSENT — Fight for another day when the timing is right.”

Democratic Concerns
Democrats have expressed concern about the bill’s provisions, particularly the broad discretion it gives the Trump administration over spending decisions. They worry this could allow cuts in key programs and fund the administration's controversial initiatives, like those led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) argued, “This is not a clean CR. This bill is a blank check for Elon Musk and President Trump.”

Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), chair of the House Appropriations Committee, acknowledged the bill wasn’t ideal but argued that it was time to end the cycle of short-term funding extensions.

“We’re not going to have a Republican Senate and a Republican House restrict a Republican president from exercising executive authority,” Cole said.

Bipartisan Expectations
Typically, keeping the government open has required bipartisan cooperation, as Republicans often don’t have enough votes to pass spending bills on their own.

Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.), chair of the House Freedom Caucus, supported the bill, saying it avoids a massive, catch-all spending package and helps reduce overall spending.

“This is not your grandfather’s continuing resolution,” Harris said.

Democratic leaders strongly opposed the legislation. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called it a “Republican shutdown bill” that “undermines the American dream.”

Senate Democrats have generally emphasized patience, waiting to see if Republicans can push the bill through the House before taking a stance.

However, some Democrats voiced strong opposition, including Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who criticized Republicans for “trying to jam through something that is their way or the highway.”

In response, Democrats proposed an alternative bill on Monday night, funding the government through April 11, as a backup if the Republican-led effort falters.

Blame Game
Both parties prepared to assign blame if the bill fails.

“If the government shuts down with a Republican House, Republican Senate, and Republican president, it will be because the Republicans moved forward with a terrible, partisan, take-it-or-leave-it bill,” said Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.).

The bill could also have significant consequences for Washington, D.C., with Mayor Muriel Bowser warning it would require the city to cut $1.1 billion in spending over the next six months, potentially impacting critical services like education and public safety.

Contributed by Leah Askarinam, Gary Fields, and Lisa Mascaro

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