Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Media personality Steve Bannon, who served as Donald Trump’s White House chief strategist during his first term, warned congressional Republicans that they’ll face a “firestorm” from supporters of the president’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement if they introduce a continuing resolution (CR) to stop a looming government shutdown.Newsweek reached out to House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office via email for comment on Saturday morning.Why It MattersThe federal government is going to run out of funding on March 14, meaning lawmakers on Capitol Hill will have to negotiate a spending bill, even if it’s just a CR—a temporary spending bill passed until final appropriations are approved by Congress and the president—to keep crucial government agencies running.House Republicans advanced a budget plan out of committee Thursday night. The budget resolution has a goal of reducing mandatory spending by $2 trillion over a 10-year period. It would also provide up to $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and increase the debt ceiling by $4 trillion. Mandatory spending funds social programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP. Although, Trump and Republicans have said they will not touch Social Security and Medicare.This budget plan would fulfill Trump and Republicans’ campaign promises to make tax cuts and reduce the deficit. However, it’s unclear whether the budget plan will actually make significant cuts or do anything to reduce the deficit.What To KnowOn Friday, Representative Andy Biggs, an Arizona Republican who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, appeared on Bannon’s podcast War Room, which has a strong influence over Trump’s MAGA base.In the interview, Bannon brought up the budget cuts that tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is making on Trump’s behalf. He asked where these cuts will come into the budget plan, but Biggs said that since the spending cuts are for mandatory spending and not discretionary spending where Musk is making cuts, those DOGE cuts won’t be seen in the budget plan.Bannon then asked if the DOGE cuts would be in a funding bill to keep the government open past March 14, or “Are we just going to kick the can down for a full year CR on the 14th?””I’m sad to say, I think they’re going to do a full-year CR for the rest of the year,” Biggs said. “This is how crazy that is—it means that you’re not including all the DOGE cuts that are being found, right? So that’s bad. The second thing is, you’re essentially keeping the same [former President Joe] Biden programs in place at the same dollar amount. So, you’re getting nothing for the 2025 fiscal year.”Bannon mentioned that the budget Biden released last year, which would continue under a CR, ran at a $2 trillion deficit. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected last month that deficit spending for the 2025 fiscal year will reach $1.9 trillion.”Does [House Speaker Mike] Johnson and these guys understand the heckle they’re going to get? I mean, the firestorm that’s going to come out of the War Room? When people sit there and try to sell the fact: Biden math, 2 trillion deficit, no Elon Musk or DOGE cuts, and we’re just going to live with it,” Bannon added.
Steve Bannon speaks to members of the media as he departs Manhattan Criminal Court after a hearing on February 11 in New York City.
Steve Bannon speaks to members of the media as he departs Manhattan Criminal Court after a hearing on February 11 in New York City.
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
What People Are SayingHouse Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday: “This budget resolution is a key step to start the process in delivering President Trump’s America First agenda. With nearly every House Republican directly engaged in this deliberative process, this resolution reflects our collective commitment to enacting the President’s full agenda—not just a part of it.”He added: “There will be ongoing debates and discussions in the coming weeks, and we remain focused on working through the process to deliver on our promises made to the American people. There’s still much work to be done, but we are starting on the right path.”Representative Brendan Boyle, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said in a statement, per NBC News: “This Republican plan isn’t just bad policy—it betrays the middle class. Their proposal slashes critical programs that millions of hardworking Americans rely on, all while adding trillions of dollars to the deficit to bankroll massive giveaways for giant corporations and billionaires like Elon Musk.”What Happens Next?The budget plan will still need to pass a full House vote and then be approved by the Senate. If that happens, it would force congressional Republicans to make more budget cuts to fund more tax cuts.Meanwhile, Johnson will have to work with Senate leadership to push a spending bill, which could be a CR, through the House. The spending bill will then have to be approved by the Senate and signed by Trump.
