Washington is bracing for a contentious September as House Republican leaders, led by Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, confront a shrinking majority and a looming government funding deadline.
According to The Hill, this month, GOP leaders face a packed agenda with internal party disputes, a critical Sept. 30 funding cutoff, upcoming special elections likely adding Democratic seats, and mounting pressures from President Trump on various fronts.
House Republicans returned to Washington in early September 2025 with a challenging slate of issues awaiting resolution. The most immediate concern is the government funding deadline set for Sept. 30, 2025. Without an agreement, Democrats could push for a shutdown, escalating tensions in an already polarized Congress.
Within the Republican ranks, disagreements over stopgap funding measures, known as continuing resolutions (CRs), are creating hurdles for leadership. Lawmakers like Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky have consistently opposed CRs, complicating Speaker Johnson’s strategy to keep the government running. The last GOP-crafted CR in March 2025 passed without Democratic backing and faced opposition from Massie, leaving the decision to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, who opted against a shutdown.
Adding to the GOP’s challenges are two special elections scheduled for Sept. 9 in Virginia and Sept. 23 in Arizona. These elections will fill seats left vacant by the deaths of Reps. Gerry Connolly of Virginia and Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, both Democrats. Both races are expected to result in Democratic wins, reducing the GOP’s margin for defections on party-line votes from three to two, assuming full attendance.
President Trump is also exerting influence over House Republicans this month with several demands. In mid-August 2025, Trump took control of the Metropolitan Police Department, an action requiring Congressional approval to extend beyond 30 days, though the GOP's response remains uncertain. Additionally, Trump has requested $2 billion to enhance Washington, D.C.’s appearance, a proposal likely to face pushback from fiscal conservatives wary of added spending.
Washington, D.C., is already grappling with a budget shortfall after Congress slashed its funding by $1 billion earlier in 2025 through a federal spending bill. This cut exacerbates the city’s financial woes as Trump’s beautification plan adds another layer of complexity to budget discussions. The slimmer GOP majority may force collaboration with Democrats on key issues, potentially through discharge petitions that require 218 signatures to bypass leadership and force votes.
One such bipartisan effort involves renewed calls for disclosures related to Jeffrey Epstein, an issue expected to gain traction in September after disrupting plans earlier in the year. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Ro Khanna of California are planning a discharge petition to compel the Trump administration to release Epstein-related files. They’ve secured enough Republican cosponsors to reach the required 218 signatures if all Democrats join, and a press conference with Epstein survivors is set for early September to highlight the cause.
Massie commented on the persistence of the Epstein matter, saying, “I don’t think this is going to go away.” Separately, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued subpoenas in July 2025 for Epstein-related documents and testimony, fueling the contentious atmosphere. Bipartisan pressure is also building for stock trading bans for Congress members, with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida planning a discharge petition on the issue after a successful petition on proxy voting earlier in 2025.
However, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas advocates for handling the stock trading ban through the committee process rather than a direct floor vote. Roy expressed cautious optimism about advancing reforms, stating, “There’s a group of us on a bipartisan basis who are saying, look, time is now.” He added, “I told Republican leadership I was going to give them the benefit of the doubt to get through the ‘big, beautiful bill’ and to make sure we can move forward and advance the president’s agenda.”
Luna is also pushing a discharge petition for congressional term limits, though it’s less likely to garner majority support. Meanwhile, the House will tackle the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this month, a critical bill often used to attach other legislative priorities. Earlier in 2025, Republicans agreed to link a measure blocking a central bank digital currency to must-pass legislation like the NDAA.
Tea Party Patriots Action is advocating to attach a bill requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration to a major bill like the NDAA. Additionally, House Republicans need near-unanimous support to authorize a subcommittee led by Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and the prior Democratic-led probe, a panel announced over seven months ago but still unformed. These competing priorities add to the packed agenda facing GOP leaders.
Rep. Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma underscored the urgency, saying, “Time is ticking, and I think that’s the biggest challenge.” She continued, “We spent the first seven months of this Congress focused on the race against the clock to get an appropriations package done.” Bice concluded, “It’s going to be a very busy four weeks.”
As September unfolds, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans must navigate internal divisions and external pressures with a diminishing majority. The outcomes of funding battles, special elections, and bipartisan initiatives like discharge petitions could reshape the political landscape in the House. With time running short, the next few weeks will test the GOP’s ability to unify and address the nation’s pressing needs.