But that’s been long enough to gain an understanding of how the budgeting process, for better or worse, often gets done.
With that in mind he’s not predicting “regular order” of debate and bill passage as the Sept. 30 deadline looms.
Less than a month away, only three of the 12 spending bills have been passed by the full House, Burlison said on Washington Watch Wednesday.
It’s no better in the Senate which has also passed three bills, according to American Action Forum.
"We're going to end up doing what we'd always do, which is a CR (Continuing Resolution),” Burlison told show host Jody Hice.
“Probably, the first one will be a short-term CR because they'll say we need more time to pass more bills. Then that'll give us to like first of November, and then we'll see that we'll probably do another CR. The question then will be how long is that second CR going to be?” he said.
Budget talks almost always are accompanied by drama. This time it looks like it will be Democrats’ ire over a second request by President Donald Trump to claw back congressionally allocated but unused funds.
In June the president submitted a recission proposal requesting cancellation of $9.4 billion, cuts for many problem areas identified by his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Previously approved funding for foreign aid and public broadcasting were among the hardest-hit areas. The Recissions Act of 2025 passed the House on June 12, the Senate on July 17, then the House again on July 18. It was signed by Trump July 24.
This time Trump’s plan is different. Late last month he initiated what’s called a “pocket recission,” a request to block up to $4.9 billion in foreign aid funding that was set to automatically expire at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
This cut is aimed at the State Department and another hit for the USAID, the U.S. Agency for International Development, The Hill reported.
A pocket rescission is a special maneuver where the president submits a rescission request so late in the fiscal year that Congress cannot act before funding expires—effectively canceling spending without approval.
This approach was last used by Democrat President Jimmy Carter. President Gerald Ford used it just prior to Carter.
Differing legal opinions
The administration argues it’s a legally permissible tool though legal challenges are expected. The General Accounting Office (GAO) says pocket recissions are illegal.
Trump is facing bipartisan opposition over his move.
“The Democrats are throwing an absolute fit, and some moderate Republicans, especially in the Senate, are throwing a fit over these pocket rescissions as well,” Burlison said.
“The GAO concluded this type of recission is unlawful and not permitted by the Impoundment Control Act. Congress has the responsibility for the power of the purse. Any effort to rescind appropriated funds without congressional approval is a clear violation of the law,” Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) said in a statement to Business Insider.
Republicans overall might be inclined to support Trump’s intentions more than his methods.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) would rather see the budgeting process return to regular order, which has been rather irregular for years.
“Looking at the composition of the rescissions, I think there are things for the most part that a lot of people would agree with. … But as a matter of process, I think it’s the right thing to have the appropriations process do their work,” Thune said.
The Senate will continue to strive for regular order.
“That’s why we tried to move bills on the floor. We’ll try and move some more before the end of the fiscal year and do everything we can to avoid a government shutdown,” Thune said.
So far on the House side, 11 of the 12 appropriations bills have advanced out of their respective subcommittees, nine of the 12 bills have cleared the House Appropriations Committee, but important bills remain. There has not been any progress on the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill, American Action Forum reports.
What a short CR could do
If House Speaker Mike Johnson were to put forward a simple CR with nothing out of the norm in the way of amendments, House members would have more time to work, and Democrats could be exposed, Burlison said.
Democrats opposing such a move would basically be saying they favor a shutdown.
“I think they actually do want a shutdown. The Democratic Party believes a shutdown will look poorly on the president and the Republicans in the House and Senate,” he said.
The path ahead looks like a series of CRs or a one-year CR, Burlison said.
“But we're not there yet. A lot of these appropriators still think that there's time to pass the 12 appropriation bills. They want their chance to do that process.”
