House Republicans, currently with three vacancies, only have a one-seat majority, meaning they can only afford to lose one vote to pass their budget. Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN) is already publicly against the budget plan. Jeffries is hoping maximum Democratic attendance will keep the pressure on Speaker Mike Johnson and his razor-thin GOP majority. 

“Given the expected closeness of the vote, it’s imperative that we are present with maximum attendance,” Jeffries wrote. 

Democrats are also hoping to capitalize on Republicans facing pressure at meetings with their constituents. A handful of GOP members, all of whom represent solidly red congressional districts, have held town hall meetings, where they faced angry voters voicing their concerns about Elon Musk’s moves in the federal government.

He asked his colleagues to gather on the steps of the House chamber at noon Tuesday. Jeffries said they will gather there to “make sure that the country can hear from everyday Americans whose lives will be devastated by the Republican budget scheme.”

“As we defend the American people, House Democrats will continue to amplify the stories of everyday Americans whose lives are being turned upside down by the Trump administration and extreme MAGA Republicans in Congress,” he wrote.

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Democrats are currently united in their opposition to the budget due to its proposed cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. It is unlikely, however, that Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), who has cancer and has missed every vote of this Congress so far, will show up on the steps.

Funding for the federal government runs dry on March 14. In the last year and a half, House Republicans, even with their majority, have been unable to fund the government without Democratic votes to get them there.