Local Leaders, Oregon Legislators Detail Dangers of Federal Stop-Gap Budget Bill as it Passes the House and Heads to Senate

When a temporary funding bill passed the U.S. House on Tuesday, many Congressional Republicans positioned the vote as a choice between keeping the government open or opting for a government shutdown.

But in the Portland Metro area, leaders from city councilors to U.S. representatives rejected the false dilemma, instead sounding the alarm about the unprecedented powers House Resolution 1968 would provide to the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk, who has provided financing to Trump and acts as a senior advisor. Musk has been widely criticized for acting as the unelected head of a new government efficiency review agency that has unilaterally conducted large-scale lay-offs of federal employees. 

“My vote against this bill was not a vote to shut down the government,” Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-Oregon) said. “My vote was a demand for Republicans to work together with Democrats on a solution that works for all of us, not just some of us. Instead, they went full steam ahead without any Democratic input on a bill that harms Oregonians, gives Elon Musk more control and fails to deliver for Americans at a time of need.”

The bill maintains the current funding for government operations through the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30. 

“House Republicans are dead set on hurtling from one fiscal cliff to the next to appease unelected billionaire Elon Musk,” Oregon Rep. Maxine Dexter said. “They refused to do their jobs and actually negotiate a budget. Their continuing resolution is nothing but a blank check to the Trump-Musk administration to dismantle the services my community depends on.” 

Oregon Rep. Maxine Dexter referred to House Democrats' analysis of the resolution, which highlighted that the budget would increase defense spending by $6 billion, while cutting $13 billion in community project funding nationwide. Additionally, the budget would cut  $185 million from Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation programs and $1.4 billion from the Army Corps. of Engineers' construction projects, which largely focus on managing flood risks. 

“I remain deeply committed to averting a Republican-fueled government shutdown, which serves no one, but I cannot, in good conscience, support this bill,” Dexter said. 

Local Hazards

Locally, five Portland city council members submitted an open letter urging Congressional leaders from Oregon to vote no on the continuing resolution in order to address the damage they argued was done due to “the mass exodus of employees from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) that the Administration has caused.”

Councilors Jamie Dunphy (district 1), Sameer Kanal (district 2), Steve Novik and Angelita Morillo (district 3) and Mitch Green (district 4) wrote in the March 5 letter that “the massive layoffs and ‘invited’ resignations at BPA, combined with a hiring freeze, are likely to lead to frequent, devastating brownouts or blackouts,” which they said would be ruinous to the local economy. 

Their request highlights how the high-stakes threat of government shutdown can serve as a political and policy bargaining chip. 

But threatening a shutdown when one political party holds a clear majority is unusual, political scientists have observed. 

In an interview with local media, Jack Miller, an assistant teaching professor in the Politics and Global Affairs department at PSU, explained the threat of government shutdown is unusual in a “unified Congress,” where Republicans currently hold the majority in both the U.S. House and Senate, under a Republican president. It is a sign, Miller said, that “the political party in control of the entire federal government cannot agree with itself.”

A Closer Look

Bynum detailed how the continuing resolution would undercut programs essential to public health, safety, job creation and community safety throughout the state, and specifically in the Portland Metro area. 

“The Continuing Resolution breaks promises to Oregonians by stripping them of $30 million in community project funding already allocated to projects across the district,” Bynum said in a statement issued Tuesday. 

Bynum confirmed the following funding would be cut if the temporary budget measure passes the Senate:

$1.7 million allocated to the Oregon CASA Network, which trains and supports community volunteers to become court-appointed special advocates for children in foster care throughout the state. It is estimated this project would support more than 1,400 youth in the care system. 

$2 million to create the CORE3 center, an emergency coordination facility in Central and Eastern Oregon. The region currently lacks such a resource, and would be instrumental in responding to likely earthquakes and other disasters along the Cascadia subduction zone. .

Other cuts Bynum listed include $2.25 million to retrofit the Sweet Home Power Plant, $5 million to construct the Happy Valley Community Center, $1.25 million to construct a new wastewater treatment plant in Molalla, $2 million for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Tumwata Village redevelopment and infrastructure project, $1.25 million to acquire more land for an existing outdoor shelter in Bend and $690,000 in library improvements throughout Clackamas County.

“This is a trash bill with unmet promises to our district,” Bynum said.

“They cut public safety funding, clean drinking water and job creation…Oregonians were promised $30 million to carry out 15 projects across our district, from Portland to Salem to Bend, to make our lives better. This bill breaks that promise and leaves our communities hanging. It’s a trash budget top to bottom.”