With a looming March 14th deadline, Congress faces yet another potential government shutdown. Despite Republican control of the House, Senate, and White House, an agreement on the fiscal year 2025 budget remains elusive. This echoes past spending conflicts, highlighting the ongoing challenges in Washington.

Bipartisan leadership and key appropriators have failed to establish a spending cap, hindering progress on essential appropriations bills. The House addressed five of the twelve necessary bills last year, but none have been considered this year. The Senate, meanwhile, has prioritized confirmations, leaving little time for spending legislation. This inaction mirrors the previous Democratic-controlled Senate, which also failed to bring appropriations bills to the floor.

President Trump's spending priorities remain unclear, adding further complexity to the situation. This uncertainty contributed to the December budget showdown, where a last-minute demand for a debt ceiling increase nearly led to a shutdown. Speaker Mike Johnson's initial 1,500-page spending bill, criticized by conservatives including President Trump, was ultimately withdrawn and replaced with a streamlined version just before the deadline.

The current situation suggests a likely continuing resolution (CR), a temporary measure to maintain existing funding levels. This approach, however, offers no room for new initiatives or spending adjustments. Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy faced criticism from conservatives for employing a CR in 2023, and current Speaker Johnson, despite promising individual spending bills, has struggled to deliver.

While House Republicans recently convened at President Trump's Doral golf club to discuss tax cuts and spending reductions, the focus on this "big, beautiful bill" has potentially overshadowed the pressing appropriations issue. The question remains whether this bill, reminiscent of President Biden's "Build Back Better" plan, will face similar roadblocks.

The 118th Congress, marked by various controversies including leadership changes and the expulsion of Rep. George Santos, managed to avoid a government shutdown. This was largely due to House Democrats' willingness to cooperate with the Republican majority. However, with Democrats now in the minority and a unified Republican government, their willingness to compromise may be diminished.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has indicated that Republicans have not initiated any bipartisan discussions on spending or the debt ceiling, suggesting they intend to address these issues independently. However, given the GOP's challenges in achieving internal consensus, securing Democratic support may be crucial for avoiding a fiscal crisis.

While Republicans have previously blamed Democrats for obstructing spending bills in the Senate, the current political landscape places the onus squarely on the GOP. Their ability to secure the necessary votes, potentially with Democratic cooperation, will determine whether another government shutdown can be averted.