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By Thérèse Boudreaux, for The Center Square
(The Center Square) – An influential group of Senate Democrats are warning they won’t accept any government funding deal that fails to ban spending on military hostilities in Iran, potentially risking a government shutdown in December.
Sens. Michael Bennett from Colorado, Tammy Duckworth from Illinois, Chris Van Hollen from Maryland, and Vermont-based Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, made the announcement Thursday.
“As we approach the December 11 funding deadline, we should not accept a short-term spending deal that continues to provide billions of additional dollars for President [Donald] Trump’s war of choice,” the group said in a statement. “Any short-term package must include language that restricts the Trump Administration from using appropriated funds to continue his war against Iran.”
With fiscal year 2027 well underway, Congress still hasn’t passed a single one of the 12 annual appropriations bills that collectively fund all federal agencies. In September, lawmakers had punted the government shutdown deadline to Dec. 11 by passing a continuing resolution, a temporary measure which effectively froze current funding levels.
Now, with Democrats invigorated by sweeping midterm election wins and the Trump administration continuing its controversial attacks on Iran, yet another government shutdown appears possible in less than a month.
“Congress cannot allow Trump to continue his conflict – we must force him to end it,” the senators’ statement continued. “When we vote on appropriations, we intend to fund the government and stop funds for this war. It is what the American people demand, and what they deserve.”
Only Congress has the power to declare war, but Congress still hasn’t authorized the ongoing U.S. military actions against Iran.
The War Powers Act of 1973 gives the president only 60 days to conduct military operations without congressional approval. When that deadline passed, the Trump administration skirted the requirement by temporarily declaring a ceasefire, a move which Hegseth claimed reset the 60-day clock.
By the time the U.S. and Iran signed a 60-day peace framework in mid-June — which Iran promptly violated — Congress had passed a war powers resolution ordering a halt of further military conflict in Iran. The Pentagon, however, ignored the edict, and the conflict continues.
Congressional Democrats have already proven in the 119th Congress that they are willing to block government funding over policy demands.
Senate Democrats triggered the longest government shutdown in history in February, a 76-day shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, over demands that Republicans implement drastic reforms to ICE and Border Patrol.
Democrats only voted to end the shutdown when Republicans stripped immigration enforcement funding from the Homeland Security appropriations bill entirely, though Republicans later infused ICE and Border Patrol with a three-year cash advance via a budget reconciliation bill.
That shutdown occurred only months after Democrats instigated a 42-day full government shutdown in an attempt to force Republicans to renew expiring COVID-19 era healthcare subsidies.
Categories: Congress
So Sanders wants the irgc to continue it’s decades long war against democracy? using the wealth stolen from the Iranian people to fund terrorists groups all across the middle East, Africa, and beyond? Being a member of the Senate for some years, He should know full well all of the countries that have been toppled with IRGC help and replaced with Islamic leaning authoritarian regiems: It wasn’t just Lebanon and Gaza they had infiltrated. And the houthies in Yemen (part of the Islamic front) are nothing…A civil war still rages on in Sudan with one faction being backed by them.
I suppose next he will invite them to come take a chunk of Vermont, now that the people here have been almost fully subdued. Wonderful!
A self-hating Jew like Bernie would be the first to condemn the construction of a nuclear power plant anywhere near Vermont for fear of a mishap but is ok with a tyrannical, murderous, homophobic, anti-Semitic, misogynist dictatorship having access to any level of nuclear capability…simply inexplicable. Admittedly, Trump should have saved the actions in Iran for after the midterms so we wouldn’t even have to engage in a discussion regarding this proposed government shutdown.
Vermonts version of Elmer Gantry.
He runs a political ponzi scheme collecting $20
from 20-30 yr olds living in their parents basement
promising them thing he can never deliver
and then turns around and gives a million dollars of it to michigans El-Sayed
instead of the Vermont Food bank .
Brooklyn’s Finest.
Republican Thomas Massie (the most MAGA of any congressperson) didn’t want the war either. But of course we know what happened to him.
Anyway, the war was unnecessary due to the fact that Trump’s July 2025 strikes on Iran “totally obliterated” its nuke program. And if you think otherwise, you’re spreading fake news. Read the official White House statement here: https://web.archive.org/web/20260329013726/https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2025/06/irans-nuclear-facilities-have-been-obliterated-and-suggestions-otherwise-are-fake-news/
You mean ex Republican Massie, even his electorate has had enough of him voting him out and now uses retaliatory measures until end of session
He was one of Trump’s biggest supporters and a true standard bearer for MAGA’s 2024 platform. But because he didn’t support the war (you know, the war Trump promised not to start), Trump backed an opponent to take him out. Massie stuck to the platform (including working to get the Ep files released). Trump didn’t.
Key word John, was, but he was primaried and lost so he has been trying to get even ever since the primary election.
One question, Ron: Who stuck closest to MAGA’s 2024 platform, Massie or Trump?
Re: Only Congress has the power to declare war, but Congress still hasn’t authorized the ongoing U.S. military actions against Iran.
Congress does not have the power to wage war only the Executive Branch does. Congress only has the authority to fund or defund war.
Plus James, in this particular instance, there were multiple votes in Congress to force an end, but they were not able to make it through the approval process.
Sick and tired of Sanders and sick and tired of his ‘representing’ Vermont. So I am copying every reader comments published here to any Sanders, Balint, Welch related articles so he and his cronies can see what ‘real thinking Vermonters’ have to say about his and their radical beliefs and actions which continue to dilute Vermont and America’s once long cherished strength, pride, values, and patriotic stances. (I don’t expect any reply from their offices…never have in the past and expect the same in the future).