The House Republicans’ campaign arm launched a targeted advertising campaign on Monday urging voters in 25 battleground districts to pressure Democratic representatives to support a Republican short-term government funding plan as the Sept. 30 fiscal deadline approaches.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said the ads — airing in districts held by Democrats deemed vulnerable — urge constituents to tell their members of Congress not to "hold the government hostage." The spots, according to NRCC messaging included in the ads, warn that Democrats are threatening a shutdown to block policies championed by former President Donald Trump and argue that a lapse in funding would risk veterans' care, military pay and public safety.
Republican leaders in the House are expected to unveil a short-term continuing resolution (CR) this week to maintain current fiscal 2025 funding levels while negotiations continue. Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday that a "clean" CR — one without additional policy riders — may be necessary to keep government operations funded temporarily and to allow funding talks to proceed.
Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have said they will not accept funding measures written without their input and have resisted any package they say could be followed by administrative cuts to programs. Schumer, speaking alongside Jeffries last week, said elected officials must pursue bipartisan negotiation and warned that a unilateral Republican plan would not secure enough Democratic support.
President Trump on Friday urged Republicans not to negotiate with Democrats on the funding measure, saying on television that Democratic demands were unreasonable and predicting they would not vote for any package even if given their preferred items. Trump’s comments echo a broader Republican debate over whether to seek bipartisan support or press ahead with a GOP-led stopgap.
The calendar adds urgency. The House and Senate have seven scheduled working days remaining before the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, when some federal programs could face lapses without action. Congress previously averted a shutdown in March by approving a CR that extended funding through September; that measure passed with a single Democratic vote, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine.
Progressive Democrats have pressed Schumer and House Democratic leaders to reject any Republican-led stopgap that lacks concessions on priorities including domestic programs and border policy. At the same time, House Republicans are attempting to persuade moderate Democrats in competitive districts that voting for a short-term CR is necessary to avoid a funding lapse.
The NRCC framed the ad blitz as part of broader messaging aimed at linking Democrats to policies on immigration enforcement and public safety. "Out of touch House Democrats would rather grind our government to a halt than let President Trump crack down on violent criminals and secure our border," NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said in a statement distributed to reporters.
House and Senate leaders face a narrow window to craft a stopgap plan that can pass both chambers. If neither side yields, lawmakers and the White House could confront a partial government shutdown with political consequences for members of both parties, particularly those in competitive districts targeted by the NRCC ads.
