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You are here: Home / Members / Will Democrats Use Their Only Leverage in Spending Fight?
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Will Democrats Use Their Only Leverage in Spending Fight?

July 21, 2025 at 8:55 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Congress is barreling toward a September 30 deadline to fund the government, and this week is shaping up to be a critical moment in the appropriations battle.

While all twelve annual spending bills remain in limbo, the real drama is unfolding around whether Senate Democrats will use their one clear point of leverage: the 60 votes required to advance any appropriations package.

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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