Some Democrats are already warning of a government shutdown as budget battle with GOP takes shape

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FILE – House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Calif., speaks to reporters in front of his office on Capitol Hill. Washington. June 7, 2023. McCarthy's attempt to appease Republican hardliners and get Congress moving again following a recent party revolt on the floor, has some Democrats warning that it will be difficult to pass legislation to keep the government operating.

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FILE – Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the ranking member of House Appropriations Committee and the Pentagon's Fiscal Year 2024 budget bill, arrives at the Capitol, Washington, on June 15, 2023, to attend a closed Defense Subcommittee hearing. Some Democrats are warning that Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s attempt to appease Republican Hard-liners and move the House again after the recent party revolt on the floor will be difficult to pass legislation to keep the government operating.

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FILE – Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, D.Md., arrives on Capitol Hill, Washington, as the House meets to elect a new speaker and convene its 118th Congress, January 4, 2023. Some Democrats are warning that Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s attempt to appease Republican Hard-liners and move the House again after a recent rebellion on the Floor is a tough road to travel when it comes to passing laws to keep the government operating.

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FILE – A statue of George Washington stands at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, as debt limit talks continue on Capitol Hill, Washington, May 27, 2023. Speaker Kevin McCarthy is trying to appease Republican hardliners and get House moving again following a recent party revolt on the floor. Some Democrats are warning that it will be difficult to pass legislation to keep the government operating.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) - Speaker Kevin McCarthy is trying to appease Republican hardliners in order to get the House back on track after a recent rebellion. However, some Democrats warn that it will be difficult to pass legislation to keep the government operating.

Republicans set up votes on guns this week and on censurating Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif), one of the most prominent former critics of Donald Trump.

The biggest move this week was an announcement made by the GOP leadership. It came with very little fanfare. Republicans announced that they will pursue appropriations legislation, which funds government programs and agencies with lower spending than what they agreed on in a deal they made with the White House last week. This compromise prevented a federal default that would have been unprecedented.

McCarthy said that the figures he negotiated with White House amounted to a ceiling and "you can always do more." Kay Granger, the Republican leader of the House Appropriations Committee in Texas, said that she would limit non-defense spending to 2022 budget levels. She claimed that the debt agreement merely set a 'top-line spending ceiling -- not a bottom'.

The announcements pleased Republicans who had criticised McCarthy, R. California, and opposed debt ceiling legislation, believing that the agreement allowed for too much spending. It drew immediate opposition from Democrats, who said that an attempt to circumvent top-line debt ceiling numbers would guarantee a standoff between the Senate and White House as well as a possible shutdown of the government when funding expires in the fall.

'It's a prelude for a shutdown - what they're engineering', said Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro. She is the top Democrat in the House Appropriations Committee.

This emerging dynamic could lead to another round of economic brinkmanship at Washington, just months after lawmakers narrowly escaped a damaging default.

In the modern age, partial government shutdowns are becoming more common. The longest one was under Donald Trump when he demanded funding for a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. With President Joe Biden facing down the Republican-controlled House as he runs for reelection in 2024 and some conservatives openly dismissive of the damage a shutdown can cause, the spending fight appears nearly certain to escalate.

Hearings of the House Appropriations Committee held on Wednesday and Thursday revealed the tension caused by the GOP's desire to cut non-defense expenditures.

Democrats claimed that House Republicans had broken their promise. Do you think we would have struck a deal had we believed that your "22" number was the deal? Rep. Steny H. Hoyer, D.Md. What kind of a deal is this? What kind of self-respect is that?

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) said, 'You knew it wasn't a limit.' 'Traditionally, this is where we start. In our world, caps are not ceilings. The caps are just a starting point, and we then negotiate based on the numbers that we have agreed upon. It's always been that way.

McCarthy, according to Republicans, made it clear in negotiations that the spending levels must be reduced.

We can fool the American public with smoke and mirrors, but the speaker's message was clear. Andy Harris, R.-Md., said that the country is in a debt crises.

According to the agreement on the debt ceiling, the White House stated that nondefense spending would be about flat in the budget year following and rise by 1% next year. Defense spending will increase by approximately 3.3% in the next budget year, and 1% in the year following. The agreement on curbing discretionary spending excludes programs such as Medicare and Social Security which are deemed mandatory expenditures.

Several Republicans have asked the leadership to not bend to a minority within the conference.

Steve Womack (R-Ark) said, "I think we have to be very careful to not allow a small part of our conference to continue to chip away at issues that were previously agreed upon." "That top-line figure was agreed upon in the (debt ceiling bill)." It may not be to their liking. Last week, they expressed their displeasure. We still have work to do. We must be doing it.

The Republicans have only a five-seat House majority, which amplifies the power of a small group. Just 11 members, mainly members of the House Freedom Caucus stalled House votes on legislation early in June, and sent lawmakers home early. Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) said that moving to the 2022 budget levels for nondefense program spending will benefit Republican candidates for next year's election, as this is what voters want.

Good said that Democrats have no interest to cut spending. They have to be made to. We should have forced them to reduce their spending by using the debt ceiling. The appropriations process should be used to force them into cutting spending. There's no need to worry about a shutdown of the government. "Most of what we do here is bad in any case."

Democrat and Republican senators alike did not appear to be as worried about the possibility that a government shutdown could occur.

Chris Murphy, D.Conn, said that the Freedom Caucus is not relevant to getting appropriations legislation passed.

Susan Collins, top Republican of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said: "I think we will resolve these issues in the end."