Roles Reversed: Unified Republicans versus Disjointed Democrats
- Aunika Groat
- Mar 28
- 3 min read
The new Unity Party has emerged, and the Democratic Party is in shambles after the decisive 2024 presidential win by Donald Trump. While the Democrats attempt to persuade the American people, the Republicans have become more united than ever before. In the past, the Democrats were a cohesive voting bloc; on the other hand, the Republicans were split into countless groups, from fiscal conservatives to foreign aid supporters. The unified Republican Party came together in the House of Representatives to pass a partisan “America First” continuing resolution to prevent a government shutdown.
Battle #1
The House rallied with 217 votes in favor and 213 votes against, almost perfectly down party lines, with the sole exceptions being one Republican opposing and one Democrat in support. A significant win for Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who faced numerous controversies over a massive continuing resolution in late December of 2024. Johnson, after the CR’s passage, triumphantly announced the Republicans “stood together”, with even the House Freedom Caucus supporting the stop-gap measure. This stop-gap measure was a partisan effort with no help or input from Democrats, no help or input from Democrats, a rare occurrence for budget-related constituting resolutions. For years, compromise has been the name of the game; however, the House Republicans have used the red wave to unite and push forward the America First and Make America Great Again agendas.
Battle # 2
The funding continuing resolution passed the first checkpoint–the House–on Tuesday, March 11th. With the looming government shutdown, the Senate needed to pass the continuing resolution by that Friday, or the federal government would close.
Unfortunately, to end the debate on the bill, the Senate required a 60 percent threshold– or 60 votes. With a 54-46 majority, the continuing resolution was forced into the realm of bipartisan negotiation. To elevate the pressure, the House of Representatives decided to return home on March 12th, meaning the Senate had to either pass the continuing resolution or trigger a dramatic government shutdown.
The ball was in the Democrats’ court; however, the Republicans favored both potential outcomes. Passing the resolution would advance the MAGA agenda supported by a majority of the American populace. Conversely, the government shutdown could provide President Trump and Elon Musk the opportunity to pursue additional DOGE cuts to non-essential personnel. The DOGE extension would involve determining non-essential personnel and cutting unnecessary agencies to maintain government survival.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer found himself between a rock and a hard place. After several days of intense arguments and an extensive lunch meeting with his caucus, Senator Schumer decided to vote with the Republicans. With the support of several other Democrat Senators, he helped the continuing resolution pass the 60 percent threshold. Then, a simple majority vote was required to pass the resolution. The final vote of 54-46 fell generally along partisan lines, with two Democrats in affirmation and one Republican in opposition.
Moving Forward
After this reality television entertainment, you might wonder what was actually in this continuing resolution that caused panic among Democrats and elation among Republicans.
This 6-month continuing resolution extended funding through the end of the fiscal year of 2025, slashing non-defense spending by $13 billion while increasing defense spending by $6 billion. While this may not seem overly aggressive given our country's more than $30 trillion debt and the current ongoing global conflicts, the drama arose from the allocation of $485 million from the defense spending increase earmarked for boosting deportations, among other issues.
Concerns about cuts to healthcare services and social security can be alleviated, as this clean continuing resolution does impact those programs. Instead, it provides additional services for veteran healthcare, including the highest pay raise for junior enlisted troops in 40 years—rightfully rewarding the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect our values—supports federal wildland firefighters through salary increases, and offers additional support for rental housing assistance programs. Furthermore, it provides additional nutritional assistance to the most vulnerable populations: mothers, seniors, and children.
When we dig deeper into the alleged partisanship of this bill, it becomes clear why Republicans united in its support. This legislation puts America first by aiding vulnerable individuals and first responders while reinforcing law enforcement. With the Democrat Party divided and in disarray, the Republican Party has found its unity in putting America First. The future looks promising for both the Republican Party and the country.
Photo Credit:
[Header]: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
[Embedded 1]: Alex Brandon | AP
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