The U.S. Congress is reopening after a month-long summer recess. However, chaos surrounding the 2026 fiscal year budget proposal awaits, according to the Associated Press. There are only four weeks left until the shutdown deadline (September 30).
Political news outlet Politico reported on the 1st (local time) that the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, and the White House are at sharp odds with each other over the current budget proposal, making it difficult for the two sides to reach an agreement by the shutdown deadline. Instead, it noted that a short-term continuing resolution lasting a few weeks to a few months is likely to be implemented to extinguish the urgent fire. Senator Thom Tillis of the Republican Party said, "If you want chaos, you're going to see that scene right away."
However, the processing of the temporary budget is also expected to be challenging. Politico identified the hardliners in the Republican Party, which holds the majority in Congress, as the biggest obstacle. The House Republicans are pushing for a plan to freeze defense spending and cut non-defense spending by about 6%. The hardline group within the party, the Freedom Caucus, claimed to have received a promise from the leadership that "the budget for next year must be at least the same as or less than this year's," indicating that any increase in the budget is absolutely unacceptable. In contrast, the Senate passed a bipartisan budget plan that increases defense spending by $20 billion and slightly raises non-defense spending. There is a stark divergence of positions within the same Republican Party between the Senate and the House.
The Trump administration has exacerbated negotiations. The White House has repeatedly demanded a budget claw back of funds already approved by Congress. Following a cut of $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting budgets last July, it also notified Congress that it would block an additional $4.9 billion in foreign aid just before the recess. The Democrats labeled this as "an act of negotiation sabotage."
The Democratic Party is also taking a hard stance. Democratic cooperation is essential to pass the budget in the Senate. The Democrats are poised to risk a shutdown to push through demands such as the extension of subsidies for the Affordable Care Act. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced severe criticism from his party's support base for agreeing to the Republican proposal in March to prevent a shutdown. Due to that experience, the sentiment of "no surrender" is prevalent in the party.
The budget war occurring ahead of next year's midterm elections is a political burden for both parties. The Associated Press reported that the public inconvenience caused by a shutdown could lead to accountability for both parties.