Talks between the top appropriators in the House and Senate have soured in the past week, with lawmakers still searching for an agreement on topline spending levels that are a prerequisite for funding individual agencies and programs for the remainder of the fiscal year.<\/p>\n

Negotiators have insisted they are staying at the table to hash out an accord. But there\u2019s no clear strategy to break the logjam, and House Republican leaders privately acknowledge that contingency plans need to be drawn up in case the impasse continues ahead of the March 14 deadline.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime is running out,\u201d Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins<\/a> of Maine told reporters.<\/p>\n

The stalemate has been driven in part by partisan distrust over the Trump administration\u2019s remarkable seizure of the federal purse strings. Democrats want assurances from Republicans that the administration will adhere to Congress\u2019s wishes on spending as Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk summarily cut jobs and programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one thing Rosa DeLauro<\/a> and I are asking for is simply an assurance that if there’s going to be Democratic votes, that the president and Elon Musk will follow the law, and they won’t just take our bill that we’ve worked really hard on and rip it up and it doesn’t matter,\u201d Sen. Patty Murray<\/a> of Washington, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told reporters Thursday, referring to her counterpart on the House Appropriations Committee.<\/p>\n

Though more GOP lawmakers are starting to speak out<\/a> against the executive branch\u2019s unilateral freezing of federal funds, Republican leaders are not likely to agree to checks on Trump\u2019s ability to slash spending.<\/p>\n

That has made a continuing resolution, which funds the government under the prior year\u2019s spending levels, look more appealing to members of both parties \u2014 though even this alternative poses a risk of a shutdown.<\/p>\n

A core group of House Republicans have repeatedly threatened to revolt if their leaders move forward with anything other than 12 individually negotiated spending measures. They want those bills to include certain conservative policy riders and spending cuts.<\/p>\n

Democrats, meanwhile, are signaling they won’t bail Republicans out: DeLauro has said that if a long-term continuing resolution were to come to the floor \u2014 one that lasts beyond just a few days to let lawmakers put the finishing touches on a full-year bill \u2014 it would be \u201cthe job of the majority\u201d to pass it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Murray in a floor speech Thursday called a full-year continuing resolution a \u201cnonstarter\u201d that would end up creating \u201cslush funds for this administration to adjust spending priorities and potentially eliminate longstanding programs as they see fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

A stopgap spending bill would also force Congress to lurch weeks or months at a time on status quo spending, bringing uncertainty to agencies that are already besieged by Trump and Musk\u2019s unpredictable personnel cuts. Short-term, flat funding can halt military equipment upgrades, hinder strategic planning and prompt hiring and procurement freezes.<\/p>\n

$\"Democrats$ <\/p>\n