By Kate Scanlon, OSV News
WASHINGTON — Congressional lawmakers averted a government shutdown March 14 after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he would support a Republican-led stopgap measure rather than allow the government to close.
The same week, the Agriculture Department canceled two programs that provided a combined $1 billion to schools and food banks to buy food from local farms and ranchers, while bipartisan legislation to allow proxy voting in the House for new parents garnered enough support to force a floor vote over the objections of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.
— Lawmakers avert partial government shutdown
A continuing resolution already passed by the House cleared a key procedural Senate vote on March 14 after Schumer argued blocking the bill and causing a shutdown would present a worse outcome than keeping the government open.
The House on March 11 passed the CR in a largely party-line 217-213 vote, raising questions about whether the bill could overcome a Democratic filibuster in the upper chamber. Had the bill failed there, it would have resulted in a partial government shutdown after midnight on March 14.
In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Schumer argued that “as bad as passing the continuing resolution would be, I believe a government shutdown is far worse.”
A shutdown, he argued, would give President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk “permission to destroy vital government services at a significantly faster rate than they can right now.”
Trump has given broad deference to Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, an unofficial task force with the stated intent of curbing federal spending, to make cuts to government agencies, staff, and contracts.
Schumer’s move sparked the ire of some within his own party, who argued they should have opposed the GOP-led measure, most notably from House Democratic leadership.
But some of Schumer’s fellow Democratic senators also objected to passing the CR.
“There comes a point when we must say no,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., argued on X. “No to giving President Trump more unchecked power. No to taking away health care, veterans programs, and clean energy. No to crushing working families trying to make ends meet. I will vote no on the Republican continuing resolution.”
Advocacy groups, including the U.S. bishops conference, have long cautioned against government shutdowns, urging lawmakers to keep the government open to preserve necessary social services.
— Agriculture Department cancels $1 billion in programs for schools, food banks
About $660 million provided to schools and child care facilities to purchase food from nearby farms through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program in 2025 was canceled, as was the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which supports food banks, Politico reported.
A USDA spokesperson told that outlet that those programs were created under executive authority by the Biden administration.
— Bipartisan legislation allows proxy voting for new parents
A bipartisan effort to allow new parents to vote by proxy in the House secured enough signatures through a procedural measure to force a vote on the legislation over the Speaker’s objections.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., recently filed a discharge petition for legislation by Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D-Colo., that would permit members of the House to vote by proxy for up to three months after having children.
Pettersen gave birth to a son in January and has missed some votes as a result, and had her son in tow for other crucial votes. Luna similarly missed votes when she was unable to travel following the birth of her child in 2023.
If lawmakers garner a majority of signatures in the House — at least 218 — on a discharge petition, it forces consideration of the legislation by the entire chamber, bypassing House leadership.
Johnson, who like many conservative Republicans opposed pandemic-era proxy voting, has argued that the practice is unconstitutional, and members should be physically present in the House for votes.
“I have great sympathy, empathy for all of our young women legislators who are of birthing age. It’s a real quandary. But I’m afraid it doesn’t fit with the language of the Constitution, and that’s the inescapable truth that we have,” Johnson said, according to NBC News.
But other members of the party’s right flank supported the petition, including Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. In a March 11 social media video accompanied by Luna and Pettersen, Burchett said, despite his objections to proxy voting in general, parental leave should be an “exception.”
“When they wrote these rules, it’s just a bunch of old white guys up here, now we’ve got ladies in leadership positions,” he said, urging his social media followers to tell their members to support the effort.
— Chavez-DeRemer confirmed as labor secretary
Former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., was confirmed as labor secretary on March 10 in a bipartisan 67-32 Senate vote.
“I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity to continue serving my country, and I’ll work tirelessly to help President Trump put the American Worker First,” Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement upon her confirmation. “This administration has a clear mandate to renew the American Dream for hardworking men and women across the country. As a small businesswoman and the daughter of a Teamster, I will act on my experience and work with business and labor to support good-paying jobs, grow our economy, and ensure every American can enjoy a comfortable retirement.”
“As we strive to create a new Golden Age of prosperity, I’m ready to team up with all those committed to fighting for the American Worker,” she added. “Together, under the leadership of President Trump, we will Make America Work Again.”
Trump’s selection of Chavez-DeRemer for the post surprised some political observers for her union-friendly positions, but she also faced criticism from some business groups, as well as from pro-life conservatives concerned about her record on abortion.
The Catholic Church teaches that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and, as such, opposes direct abortion. At the same time, church officials in the U.S. have reiterated the church’s concern for both mother and child and have called to strengthen available support for those living in poverty or facing other circumstances that can push women toward having an abortion.
The right to unionize and seek workplace equity — and to strike, if necessary — is also fundamental to Catholic social teaching. Pope Leo XIII, St. John XXIII, St. Paul VI, St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have all expounded on unionized labor topics, in both official and unofficial pronouncements.
ê Rubio congratulates Pope Francis on his anniversary as pontiff
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also Catholic, issued a statement congratulating Pope Francis on his 12th anniversary as pontiff March 13 and wishing him a full recovery amid his hospitalization.
“On behalf of the people of the United States of America, and during this Jubilee Holy Year, I extend my best wishes to His Holiness Pope Francis on the twelfth anniversary of his election,” Rubio said. “The United States values its enduring relationship with the Holy See, which is grounded in our shared commitment to advance peace across the globe, promote interreligious dialogue, and protect religious freedom.”
Pope Francis remains at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he has been hospitalized for about a month, but he celebrated his anniversary with cake, officials said.
The pontiff, Rubio said, “is in the hearts and prayers of my family and of the more than 50 million Catholics in the United States, as we hope for his continued and swift recovery.”
“On this Jubilee, with its message of hope and unity, we extend our heartfelt wishes for a peaceful celebration,” he said.
