Congress has less than two weeks to extend federal spending laws and keep the government open, but now a clash over President Donald Trump?s attempt to seize powers the Constitution delegates to lawmakers threatens to stall talks and force a shutdown.

Republican negotiators walked away from talks over the weekend to reach a deal on a top-line number on how much the federal government should spend for the rest of the 2025 fiscal year, which runs through Sept. 30. Democrats had said that number is irrelevant if Trump refuses to spend the money in accordance with the law ? or if he empowers billionaire Elon Musk and his U.S. DOGE Service to terminate federal contracts and lay off tens of thousands of federal workers without regard to Congress?s wishes.

Trump and advisers including budget chief Russell Vought have argued that the president has the power to withhold money that Congress orders spent, arguing that a post-Watergate law that limits that power is unconstitutional. Musk?s DOGE team has been unilaterally terminating contracts and pushing to shed federal staff.

Now Democrats say they want assurances from congressional Republicans and the White House that the administration will actually spend the money included in any new law preventing a shutdown.

?Money is just being pilfered. They?re stealing funds that are supposed to go to American families and businesses,? said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Connecticut), House Democrats? chief negotiator. ?If we?re going to go through the agreement and get the topline and hammer it all out and someone comes along and upends it, that?s what we want to try to avoid.?

Trump and Musk say their cuts are aimed at rooting out waste. Congressional Republicans are broadly happy to back the administration?s position. Trump will address a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. (The Nation)

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