House Republicans have unveiled a 99-page, six-month stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown and increase defense funding while seeking cuts for nondefense programs, which is likely to be a main focus of this week’s Sunday shows.
The bill, released Saturday, would greenlight an increase in defense funding of around $6 billion above fiscal year 2024 levels, according to Republicans, adding that it would also raise funding for veterans’ housing and healthcare, along with funds for the WIC program. Funding for non-defense programs would drop by around $13 billion under the 2024 fiscal year levels. The deadline for passage of the bill to avert a partial government shutdown is Friday at midnight next week.
President Trump’s trade war with the U.S.’s top trading partners has intensified this week. After initially enacting tariffs on goods coming from Canada, Mexico and China on Tuesday, the president postponed most of those placed on Mexico City and Ottawa. On Friday, he threatened to slap fresh levies on Canada’s lumber and dairy. Ottawa’s tariffs on American products are still in place. Ontario said it would implement a tariff on electricity en route to three U.S. states starting on Monday. The tariffs will likely be a main discussion point on Sunday.
On the foreign policy front, the president said he is weighing imposing additional sanctions on Russia to pressure the Kremlin to partake in peace negotiations. Still, Trump stated earlier this week that he has a tougher time dealing with Ukraine.
“I think we’re doing very well with Russia. But right now, they’re bombing the hell out of Ukraine,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine. And they don’t have the cards. They don’t have the cards.”
His remarks came after the U.S. halted military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, likely a way to exert pressure on Kyiv to proceed with the peace agreement talks and have Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky sign the minerals deal that would act as a deterrent against future Kremlin attacks, according to Trump.
Former White House adviser on Russia, Fiona Hill, is slated to appear on CBS’s “Face the Nation” where she will likely discuss the latest back-and-forth between Washington and Kyiv and the potential meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian officials next week in Saudi Arabia.
Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) was one of 10 House Democrats who voted on Thursday to censure fellow Democratic Rep. Al Green (Texas), two days after the Texas lawmaker heckled Trump during his Tuesday night address to a joint session of Congress, blasting the president for boasting about his 2024 presidential election victory and arguing that he does not have a “mandate” to cut Medicaid. The California Democrat is set to be on NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday,” where he will likely elaborate on his vote to reprimand Green and comment on Saturday’s continuing resolution (CR) released by House Republicans.
The White House confirmed this week that it is directly communicating with the Palestinian militant group Hamas regarding the release of the remaining hostages in the Gaza Strip. The talks are taking place amid a fragile ceasefire the group has stuck with Israel in January.
Special presidential envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler has had direct talks with Hamas. He is set to make an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” and “Fox News Sunday,” where he will likely talk about the latest developments in freeing the hostages from the war-torn enclave.
Here’s a list of this week’s Sunday show appearances:
NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday”: Reps. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and Ami Bera (D-Calif.); former National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling; former Office of Management and Budget Director David Stockman.
ABC’s “This Week”: director of the White House National Economic Council Kevin Hassett; Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.); president of the United Auto Workers Shawn Fain.
NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick; Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).
CNN’s “State of the Union”: the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler; Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Andy Kim (D-N.J.); Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), and Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.).
CBS’ “Face the Nation”: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem; Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.); Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman and former White House adviser on Russia Fiona Hill.
“Fox News Sunday”: Boehler; Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.); Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).
Fox’s “Sunday Morning Futures”: President Donald Trump; former Deputy National Security Adviser Victoria Coates.
