California Republicans vote yes, Democrats vote no on House budget to avoid a shutdown
California lawmakers followed the party line Tuesday as the state’s Republicans voted for the GOP plan to keep the government running while Democrats were opposed.
The House narrowly passed the budget, 217-213, sending it to the Senate. The measure keeps the government funded through the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30.
All 43 California Democrats voted no, while all nine Republicans voted yes.
If Congress can’t agree on spending by Friday night, much of the government will shut down
Democratic support will be crucial to passing the plan in the Senate. Republicans control 53 of the 100 seats, but 60 votes are needed to limit debate.
California’s senators, both Democrats, have been skeptical of the bill.
Sen. Alex Padilla was particularly annoyed with the lack of new money to help the recovery effort from the Southern California wildfires.
“The House Republican spending bill completely shortchanges California and other disaster-stricken states like the Carolinas on disaster relief,” he said.
Republican vs. Democrat
In the House, though, the two parties’ differences were stark.
“The public gave President Trump and Congress a mandate to rein in government spending, and passing the (budget) is our best shot at going after true waste, cutting taxes, and putting America back on a responsible path,” said Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Chico, on X.
Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, warned that anyone voting no “is voting to shut down the government, furlough federal workers, close up our national parks and stop paying our military.
“I know my constituents - those aren’t the outcomes they sent me to Congress to achieve,” said Calvert, a senior member of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee.
Before Tuesday’s vote, Republican campaign officials pressed Democrats, saying a no vote was essentially a vote to shut the government down.
“Radical Democrats are pushing for a government shutdown, and out-of-touch Adam Gray is hiding,” said Ben Petersen, national war room director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, in a statement sent to the media.
Gray is regarded as one of the nation’s most vulnerable Democrats. He ousted incumbent Republican Rep. John Duarte last fall by fewer than 200 votes.
Gray’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Democrats, though, countered that they were not eager for a shutdown. Party leaders painted their vote as one against the budget, they said, in the hope that what they saw as a more reasonable alternative could be found.
Democrats have a plan
They offered a plan to keep the government running for 30 days, giving budget-writers enough time to craft a more thorough bill.
Democrats were particularly concerned that under the Republican bill considered Tuesday, Trump adviser Elon Musk would retain authority to slash budgets willfully.
“I will not support legislation that gives Elon Musk unchecked authority to gut critical services while hardworking #SacramentoCounty families pay the price,” said Rep. Ami Bera, D-Sacramento.
Democrats were also angry that they had no input into the bill. “Instead of working constructively in a bipartisan way to meet the needs of the American people, Republicans are trying to starve the domestic budget with a partisan bill,” said Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco.
She was particularly incensed at cuts to veterans’ health care and housing programs. Republicans countered in a fact sheet that the bill “fully funds the government, including our military and veterans.”
The bill increases defense spending by about $6 billion while cutting nondefense spending by $13 billion, including reductions in aid to farmers to help conservation projects and election security assistance.
Included, though, are increases for immigration enforcement, federal firefighter pay, air traffic control systems and food aid for lower income people.
This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 3:31 PM with the headline "California Republicans vote yes, Democrats vote no on House budget to avoid a shutdown."
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