• Mike Johnson is making it harder for lawmakers to undo President Donald Trump's tariffs.
• Congress can overturn the national emergency Trump used for his Liberation Day actions.
• Trump paused most of his latest tariffs before the vote.

House Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP leaders on Wednesday moved to make it harder for challenges to President Donald Trump's Liberation Day tariffs to succeed.

Republican leaders tucked in a provision in an unrelated measure that would forestall challenges to the underlying national emergency Trump used to unilaterally impose sweeping tariffs on Liberation Day.

Johnson's move came before Trump announced a 90-day pause on the higher reciprocal for most countries. Wall Street soared on the news of Trump's decision. The GOP's action would make it harder to challenge Trump's tariffs if they were to return in full force after the pause ends in July.

The House passed the procedural measure on a 216 to 215 vote. Three Republicans, Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Victoria Spartz of Indiana, and Mike Turner of Ohio voted against it.

Effectively, Johnson and his fellow Republicans have shielded Trump's trade policies amid grumbling from Republicans on both sides of the Capitol. Seven GOP senators are backing an unrelated bill to curb presidential tariff policy. Trump has promised to veto that legislation.

Under the National Emergency Act, Congress can terminate national emergencies by a joint resolution. A president could still veto a termination.

Crucially, the 1976 law allows such votes to be privileged, meaning they are among the few topics Republican leaders cannot block from reaching the floor. But the law requires a specific number of days before further action can be taken, and the GOP's provision would prevent the countdown from starting until the end of September.

GOP leaders included the policy in a key procedural step for Trump's budget resolution. By doing so, Johnson practically forced his colleagues to stomach the tariff provision or risk further imperiling the passage of a necessary step needed to get Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" of tax cuts and immigration policy through Congress.

Johnson and his team used a similar strategy in March to protect a previous round of Trump tariffs by inserting a provision into a procedural measure ahead of a potential government shutdown.

"Why haven't we voted on tariffs in the House of Representatives?" Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a libertarian-leaning Republican, wrote on X before the vote. "Because Speaker Johnson is using Rules Committee Resolutions, consummated by majority votes of the whole House, to declare that 'a day is not a day' in order to AVOID THE U.S. LAW that requires Congress to vote."

The House is now expected to vote later Wednesday evening on full approval of the Trump-backed budget plan.

• Congress is voting to avert a shutdown, and DOGE is scrambling the calculus for both sides.
• Democrats are voting against the bill, arguing DOGE is already shutting down the government.
• Meanwhile, Republicans who usually hate voting for funding bills are changing tack because of DOGE.

As lawmakers vote this week to fund the government and avert a shutdown before March 14, things are different in the halls of Congress — and DOGE is at the center of it.

For years, government funding has played out as such: Almost every Democrat votes for the bill — even if it contains some cuts or provisions that they oppose — because they tend to be the temperamentally pro-government party. Somewhere around half of Republicans vote against it, even when their party controls the House, complaining of runaway government spending.

That pattern is now being turned on its head.

House Republicans have drafted a bill to extend current levels of government funding for another year, plus some cuts that Democrats oppose. Hardline conservatives who are typically weary of voting for these types of bills are expected to get behind it. House Democrats, meanwhile, are expected to near-unanimously oppose it.

"It will enable Donald Trump and Elon Musk to continue to cut the federal government," Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the chairman of the House Democratic caucus, said of the GOP-drafted bill to fund the government for the next year. "House Democrats are voting no."

On both sides of the aisle, it's DOGE — and President Donald Trump's empowerment of the cost-cutting initiative — that's helping to change lawmakers' calculus.

Republicans argue that even if they're unhappy with the level of spending dictated by the bill, Trump can assert the power of impoundment, essentially refusing to spend money that Congress approves. The administration is already doing some of this as part of DOGE, though those efforts might violate the law and are being challenged in court. More broadly, they're also arguing that funding the government is important to keep the lights on for DOGE to do its work.

Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri told BI there's "no way" he would have supported the bill "without DOGE or Trump." Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina told BI that DOGE is a "huge" part of the reason he's getting behind the legislation. Both are Republicans who typically oppose these kinds of funding extensions.

While those arguments reassure Republicans, they've become fodder for Democrats to oppose the bill, given their objections to DOGE.

"They're being told that this allows them to do even more stealing from funds that Congress approved," Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin said of Republicans. "Every Democrat knows that this is just a chance to lose even more programs for our constituents."

Furthermore, Democrats have argued that Musk and his lieutenants' blitz across the federal government — including shuttering agencies, choking off streams of federal funding, accessing sensitive systems, and firing federal workers — has amounted to a "partial government shutdown" already. By voting to fund the government under these conditions, Democrats would be giving up leverage.

The bill also doesn't include detailed instructions about how to spend the money, which would typically be the case if Congress were passing regular funding bills. Democrats argue the absence of those instructions will grant Trump even further latitude to reshape the federal government — and punish his opponents.

"It's just a handoff of power to President Trump to punish localities that he doesn't like and reward those he does," Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia told BI. "He is showing a willingness to use any tool at his disposal to go after those that he doesn't think are his friends or supporters. Virginia voted against him three times in presidential elections. I'm not going to give him a cudgel to beat us up."

Despite Democratic opposition, the bill may still become law. House Republicans are optimistic that they'll be able to pass the year-long funding patch before leaving town on Tuesday.

That would leave the Senate little choice but to pass the bill or risk a shutdown. Due to the 60-vote filibuster rule, it will take the agreement of at least 7 Democrats to get it done.

"I think they've got enough senators to do this," Republican Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas told BI on Tuesday. "We're throwing it in their lap this evening. It's gonna pass there too."

• The Trump administration has frozen USDA grants, impacting farmers.
• Now, a key Democratic group says they'll hold vulnerable House Republicans "accountable" for it.
• It's an early look at how Trump's early moves could impact the 2026 midterms.

The Trump administration's freezing of US Department of Agriculture grants is leaving some farmers in the lurch. Now, a key Democratic group is aiming to make it a campaign issue.

In a memo obtained exclusively by Business Insider, House Majority PAC — a super PAC aligned with House Democrats — says they plan to hold "accountable" several House Republicans who face potentially competitive reelection bids in 2026.

"Multiple vulnerable House Republicans representing tens of thousands of farms are now standing by as Trump freezes hundreds of millions of dollars of funding that American farmers were promised," the memo reads. "House Republicans are leaving American farmers out to dry, and will have some explaining to do next week when they head back to their districts."

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order halting the disbursement of funds authorized by Democrats' signature 2022 climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, to allow the administration to review whether those funds are consistent Trump's priorities.

Some of that funding has impacted grants and loans from the Department of Agriculture for environmental improvements, with farmers saying they haven't received the money they were previously guaranteed. That's even after Trump's initial move to halt all federal grants was rescinded.

A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture told Business Insider that the agency would be in touch with "interested parties" once Brooke Rollins, Trump's nominee to lead the department, was confirmed by the Senate and "has the opportunity to analyze these reviews."

"The Trump Administration rightfully has asked for a comprehensive review of all contracts, work, and personnel across all federal agencies," the spokesperson said. "Anything that violates the President's Executive Orders will be subject for review."

House Majority PAC listed nine Republicans they're targeting, including:

• Rep. David Valadao of California
• Rep. Gabe Evans of Colorado
• Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa
• Rep. Zach Nunn of Iowa
• Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana
• Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri
• Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska
• Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia
• Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin

Each lawmaker represents a district encompassing thousands of farmers, according to 2022 US Department of Agriculture data. Three of them — Miller-Meeks, Nunn, and Van Orden — represent over 25,000 farmers each.

None of the lawmakers targeted by House Majority PAC responded to Business Insider's request for comment for this story.

While it's unclear whether the PAC will end up spending significantly on this particular issue, the group is certain to be a key player in the midterms, where Democrats will only have to flip a few seats to regain the majority in the House. In 2024, the group spent more than $256 million.

It also offers an early look at how Democrats hope to politically capitalize on some of the Trump's administrations early moves, which have revolved heavily around government funding.

In a statement for this story, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly did not directly address when the funds would be unfrozen, but referenced other issues that farmers may contend with.

"The Biden administration crushed American agriculture with regulatory uncertainty, crippling inflation, trade imbalances, and radical environmental policies. Thankfully, President Trump is already delivering relief by unleashing American energy and cutting ten regulations for every new regulation," Kelly said. "He will continue to make all agencies more efficient to better serve the American people, including our hardworking farmers."

• Democrats may need to help Republicans raise the debt ceiling this year.
• If that happens, Democrats aren't going to do it for free. They'll likely demand concessions.
• Rep. Ro Khanna, a Silicon Valley Democrat, says his party should demand a federal minimum wage hike.

At some point in the next few months, Congress will have to raise the debt ceiling.

For now, Republicans are planning to do it on their own. But if past is prologue, they'll probably need votes from across the aisle — and Democrats are likely to demand something in return.

Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat who represents Silicon Valley, told Business Insider this week that he believes the price should be an increase in the federal minimum wage.

"We should force Republicans to vote on it," the California Democrat told BI.

Khanna did not specify a particular level at which he'd like to raise the wage, but Democrats generally support a $15 per hour federal minimum wage. Some, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, have proposed pushing it even higher, to $17 per hour.

President-elect Donald Trump said in December that he would "consider" raising the minimum wage, but several Republican lawmakers later told BI that they opposed the idea.

Scott Bessent, Trump's nominee for secretary of the treasury, said at a Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday that he does not believe the current $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage should change.

It's not clear if Democrats will follow Khanna's lead, though he told BI that he would "make the case to the caucus."

Minimum wage increases tend to be popular among both Democratic and Republican voters — in November, several Republican-leaning states passed minimum wage hikes via ballot measures.

Democrats still have to figure out their price for helping Republicans

As of now, Republicans want to avoid handing any leverage to Democrats in the first few months of Trump's presidency. They plan to include a debt ceiling hike in a broader party-line "reconciliation" bill containing a smattering of Trump's priorities on energy, immigration, border security, and taxes.

But there's a good chance that won't work, given some hardline Republicans' deep reservations about raising the debt ceiling without dramatic spending cuts. Some Republicans have never voted to raise the debt ceiling before, and in December, dozens of them openly defied Trump's call to raise the debt ceiling after Elon Musk helped tank a government funding bill.

If Republicans can't do it themselves, Democrats will have the chance to make demands, lest the country breach the debt ceiling and trigger a fiscal crisis.

"I'm not a cheap date," Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts told BI. "The idea that we're just going to help them out when they can't get their own members to cooperate, those days are gone."

Of the several House Democrats that BI spoke to, only Khanna was willing to name a specific price. Others demurred, saying they were waiting to see what negotiations would look like in the coming months, and underscoring that Democrats would have to decide on their approach collectively.

"The sentiment from our caucus is: If you need our help on anything, you're going to have to help us," Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York told BI. "All of this, I think, is subject to many of our internal conversations."

Democrats could also use their leverage to try to halt the deep cuts to federal government spending that Republicans may pursue in the coming months, rather than making an affirmative policy demand.

"There's clearly a whole host of things that I think the caucus would have as priorities," Democratic Rep. Joe Morelle of New York told BI.

• House lawmakers voted to avoid a federal government shutdown on Friday.
• The Senate passed the stopgap funding bill minutes after the midnight deadline passed.
• The vote caps a week full of drama on Capitol Hill.

President Joe Biden signed a stopgap funding bill on Saturday that prevents a government shutdown. Senate lawmakers passed the bill minutes after the Saturday midnight deadline passed.

Earlier on Friday, House lawmakers voted 366 to 34 for the bill, with one Democratic lawmaker voting present. House Democrats provided significant cover for House Speaker Mike Johnson, who lost 34 Republicans on the measure.

The White House Office of Management and Budget said in a statement on Friday that it had ceased shutdown preparations.

Trump downplayed the stakes of a shutdown, but it likely would have affected the transition of power and some planning for his inauguration.

Now that the bill has been signed into law, government funding will run through March 14, giving President-elect Donald Trump a little breathing room once he retakes office next month.

Republicans denied Trump's request to suspend or even eliminate the debt ceiling, which would have resolved a thorny political issue in advance of a likely GOP effort to extend Trump's 2017 tax law. According to Punchbowl News, Johnson said Republicans have agreed to address the nation's borrowing limit next year when the GOP will retake entire control over Washington.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and his fellow Democrats ultimately backed a deal stripped of many of the incentives initially included to garner more support among his party.

Elon Musk and other conservative activists opposed the initial bipartisan bill earlier this week, effectively killing it. Trump then urged Republicans to pass a pared-down funding bill and an extension of the debt ceiling. On Thursday night, 38 House Republicans and nearly every House Democrat voted against that plan, raising the stakes as a shutdown approached.

"The last 72 hours highlighted the positive impact that DOGE can have, but it also laid bare the massive lift ahead next year," Vivek Ramaswamy, who will co-lead Trump's "Department of Government Efficiency" with Musk wrote on X, "We're Ready for It."

Musk also announced his support of the legislation before its passage. Johnson told reporters he had a brief conversation with him.

"The Speaker did a good job here, given the circumstances," Musk wrote on X. "It went from a bill that weighed pounds to a bill that weighed ounces. Ball should now be in the Dem court."

The episode illustrated that significant divisions remain among Republican lawmakers that even Trump can struggle to paper over. Trump has ambitious plans for his second term, including the potential of using a special procedural power known as reconciliation to ram through tax extensions and border security measures. He'll only be successful if the GOP can remain almost entirely united.