Will the CR Pass the Senate After All? Sen. Kennedy Offers His Thoughts.

Jeremy Frankel | March 13, 2025 11:45 AM

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) believes the Continuing Resolution (CR), which cleared the House, will pass the Senate as well, despite the Democrats’ and Chuck Schumer’s opposition to it.

“I'm not, of course, clairvoyant. I have to wait for the future like everybody else. But I think it's going to pass,” Kennedy told Newsmax on Wednesday. “My Democratic colleagues are not happy, you know. They're not happy in general right now.”

“But the truth is this they don't want to shut government down. And I applaud them for that. Republicans certainly don't want to shut the government down. The CR would keep government open, cut $13 billion from nondefense discretionary spending, spend $6 billion extra on defense. It would spend a smaller amount of money than we spent in fiscal year '24 or fiscal year '23. It's not perfect, but it's good and I think it's going to pass,” Kennedy continued.

The CR, known as the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, funds the government until September 30th, assuming the Senate passes it and President Trump signs it. It will cost $1.6 trillion.

The bill’s sponsor, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), listed its key takeaways, which include:

Ensures a costly government shutdown does not befall the American people.
Fully funds core government services.
Maintains government operations without increasing the spending of taxpayer dollars.
Upholds responsibilities to our nation’s veterans and ensures full funding for their healthcare services and benefits.
Enhances defense investments and includes the largest pay raise for junior enlisted troops in over 40 years.
Supports federal wildland firefighters and their work to protect our communities and public lands.
Protects Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients from the disruptions and confusion a shutdown will cause.
Increases funding for air traffic control priorities over FY24.
The bill fully funds the program that provides important nutrition assistance to mothers, infants, and children. It includes a more than $500M increase for WIC, as requested by the Trump Administration, for a total of $7.6B.
Safeguards legislation from any poison pills, ensuring a clean CR.