Democrats Are Using Mike Johnson's CR To Try To Defund Trump

House Oversight Committee ranking member Gerry Connolly has introduced an amendment to Speaker Mike Johnson's CR that would defund Trump's purge of federal workers.

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The minority party in the House usually has no power. House Democrats are currently in the minority, but due to the slim nature of the Republican House majority, Democrats have a bit of power that they can use during key moments like the looming potential government shutdown where Republicans might be divided.

House Democrats are withholding their votes from Mike Johnson’s CR unless Elon Musk is stopped from firing federal employees. Democrats have said that they want language in the CR to stop Musk, and one of the ways of stopping both Musk and Trump was proposed in an amendment by House Oversight Committee ranking member Gerry Connolly (D-VA).

The amendment is short and simple:

Add at the end of title I of division A the following:

SEC. 1117. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to establish any positions in accordance with Executive Order 14171 (90 Fed. Reg. 8625; relating to ‘‘Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce’’)

Democrats are trying to defund Trump’s executive order.

Ranking member Connolly’s office said in a statement:

Ranking Member Connolly’s amendment would defund the Trump Administration’s Executive Order entitled “Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce” which reinstated and expanded President Trump’s previous Schedule F proposal.

Ranking Member Connolly, a leading advocate for protecting the integrity of the civil service, has long warned that Schedule F is not just an attack on federal employees – it is an attack on every American that relies on the federal government. President Trump has already demonstrated he is willing to politicize the delivery of government services, jeopardizing who gets access to critical benefits and assistance based on political affiliation rather than need or merit.

Since Republicans have to pass this government funding resolution on their own, Connolly’s amendment sets up an interesting situation that will be discussed below.