Either a government shutdown or a continuing resolution (CR) to extend government funding would give the Trump administration broad authority to make spending decisions, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
Without a CR, a shutdown is set to begin just after midnight Oct. 1.
That would give President Donald Trump and the White House Office of Management and Budget the power to decide which agencies and offices remain open.
Under a short-term deal to keep open the government, the administration would have greater freedom to decide how to spend federal money compared to normal operations.
Contrary to those two scenarios, regular appropriations come with reports that include detailed spending directives agreed upon by both parties in Congress.
Past presidents, even under CRs, have spent money as directed in those reports because they do not want to disrupt future negotiations, according to budget experts, the Post reported.
"It's not law, but it's long-settled practice that the executive branch respects report language. This administration is in a different place," Charles Kieffer, a former OMB employee for both Republican and Democrat administrations and for Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee, told the outlet.
The administration would have some latitude to decide which agencies are "essential" during a shutdown.
"Some administrations want to shut down as much stuff as they can, to increase pressure on Congress to end the shutdown, and that could end up being the policy of this administration, where they refuse to keep open some things that clearly are necessary for the protection of human life and property," Georgetown University law professor David Super told the Post.
"They also could try to be selective, which seems to be what the Democrats are concerned about, and be very liberal with the programs they like and very stingy with the programs they don't like."
Trump will meet with top Democrats in Congress — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — on Thursday to discuss government funding amid a looming shutdown.
The CR being considered would extend funding only until Nov. 21.
Some Democrats fear that continuing to allow short-term funding extensions will give Republicans the power to skip this year's appropriations process entirely.
"I think it might become more obvious [by November] that the Democrats are not going to negotiate in good faith, and at that point we can't just have repeated threats of government shutdown," said Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., chair of the House Freedom Caucus.
"I think we just move it into next Dec. 1."
Reuters contributed to this story.
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Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.