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US funding plan collapses as Trump makes demands days before shutdown US funding plan collapses as Trump makes demands days before shutdown
(about 16 hours later)
Trump rejects bipartisan plan, causing Congress to spiral as lawmakers try to wrap up for holidays amid Friday deadlineTrump rejects bipartisan plan, causing Congress to spiral as lawmakers try to wrap up for holidays amid Friday deadline
Donald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan on Wednesday to prevent a Christmastime government shutdown, instead telling House speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans to essentially renegotiate – days before a deadline when federal funding runs out. Donald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan Wednesday to prevent a government shutdown before the Friday deadline, instead telling Mike Johnson, the House speaker, and Republicans to essentially renegotiate.
The president-elect’s sudden entrance into the debate and new demands sent Congress spiraling as lawmakers are trying to wrap up work and head home for the holidays. It leaves Johnson scrambling to engineer a new plan before Friday’s deadline to keep government open. Federal funding runs out on Friday, so members of Congress are working against the clock before they head home for the holidays to renegotiate a spending bill and avoid a shutdown. The measure rejected Wednesday would have extended funding through 14 March.
“Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH,” Trump and JD Vance said in a statement. Trump’s sudden entrance into the debate and new demands sent Congress spiraling. It left Johnson scrambling late into the night at the Capitol.
Trump made an almost unrealistic proposal that combined some continuation of government funds along with a much more controversial provision to raise the country’s debt limit – something his own party routinely rejects. “Anything else is a betrayal of our country,” they wrote. “Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH,” said JD Vance, Trump’s vice-president-elect, in a statement.
Democrats decried the Republican GOP over the stopgap measure, which would have also provided about $100bn in disaster aid to states hammered by Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters. The president-elect made an almost unrealistic proposal that combined some continuation of government funds along with a much more controversial provision to raise the nation’s debt limit – something his own party routinely rejects. “Anything else is a betrayal of our country,” they wrote.
“House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. Democrats decried the GOP revolt over the stopgap measure, which would have also provided some $100.4bn in disaster aid to states hammered by Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters.
“And hurt the working class Americans they claim to support. You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow.” “House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government and hurt everyday Americans all across this country,” said Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader.
Already, the enormous 1,500-page bill was on the verge of collapse, as hard right conservatives rejected the increased spending, egged on by Trump’s billionaire ally Elon Musk who rejected the plan almost as soon as it was released on Tuesday night. Jeffries said “an agreement is an agreement,” and by backing out of it “the House Republicans “will now own any harm that is visited upon the American people”.
Rank-and-file lawmakers complained about the extra spending – which includes their first pay-raises in more than a decade – a shock after one of the most unproductive chaotic sessions in modern times. A number of Republicans were waiting for Trump to signal whether they should vote yes or no. Already, the massive 1,500-page bill was on the verge of collapse, as hard-right conservatives rejected the increased spending. They were egged on by Trump’s billionaire ally Elon Musk, who rejected the plan almost as soon as it was released.
Even the addition of much-needed disaster aid, about $100.4bn in the aftermath of hurricanes and other natural calamities that ravaged states this year, plus $10bn in economic assistance for farmers failed to win over the budget-slashing GOP. Rank-and-file lawmakers complained about the extras, which included their first pay raises in more than a decade – a shock after one of the most unproductive, chaotic sessions in modern times.
“This should not pass,” Musk posted on Twitter/X in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. Even the addition of much-needed disaster aid, some $100.4bn in the aftermath of hurricanes and other natural calamities that ravaged states this year, plus $10bn in economic assistance for farmers failed to win over the budget-slashing GOP. A number of Republicans had been waiting for Trump to signal whether they should vote yes or no.
The outcome comes as no surprise for Johnson, who like other Republican House speakers before him, has been unable to convince his majority to go along with the routine needs of federal government operations, which they would prefer to slash. “This should not pass,” Musk posted on his social media site X in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.
It all shows just how hard it will be for Republicans next year, as they seize control of the House, Senate and White House, to unify and lead the country. And it underscores how much Johnson and the Republican leaders must depend on Trump’s blessing to see any legislative package over the finish line. One lawmaker said office phone lines were flooded with calls from constituents
“What does President Trump want Republicans to do: vote for the CR or shut down government? Absent direction, confusion reigns,” said retiring senator Mitt Romney, in a post on X. “My phone was ringing off the hook,” said Andy Barr, a Republican representative from Kentucky. “The people who elected us are listening to Elon Musk.”
Musk, who is heading the new Department of Government Efficiency and leading the charge against it, warned: “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” The outcome comes as no surprise for Johnson, who, like other Republican House speakers before him, has been unable to persuade his majority to go along with the routine needs of federal government operations, which they would prefer to slash.
Democrats, who negotiated the final product with Johnson and Senate Republican leadership, will be expected to provide enough support to help Johnson ensure passage, as is often the case on big bills. Federal government funding runs out at midnight on Friday. He met behind closed doors late into the night at the Capitol with GOP lawmakers trying to figure out a way out of the bind. Vance joined them until nearly 10pm, his young son – in pajamas – in tow.
“The sooner Congress acts, the better,” Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said. “We had a productive conversation,” Vance said as he and his son exited the speaker’s office, declining repeated questions about the details.
The final package extends existing government programs and services at their current operating levels for a few more months, through 14 March 2025. “We’re in the middle of these negotiations, but I think we’ll be able to solve some problems here.”
The stopgap measure is needed because Congress has failed to pass its annual appropriations bills to fund all the various agencies in the federal government, from the Pentagon and national security apparats, to the health, welfare, transportation and other routine domestic services. When the fiscal year ended on 30 September, Congress simply punted the problem by passing a temporary funding bill that expires on Friday. It all shows just how hard it will be for Republicans next year, as they seize control of the House, Senate and White House, to unify and lead the nation. And it underscores how much Johnson and the GOP leaders must depend on Trump’s blessing to see any legislative package over the finish line.
Musk, who is heading a government body that Trump claims he’ll create called the “department of government efficiency”, warned: “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!”
It’s not an idle threat coming from Musk, the world’s richest man, who helped bankroll Trump’s victory and can easily use his America Pac to make or break political careers.
Jamie Raskin, a Democratic representative of Maryland, said this is the problem with “an oligarchy – a handful of wealthy people run everything and everyone is supposed to live in fear of them”.
The bipartisan package that Trump rejected extended existing government programs and services at their current operating levels for a few more months, through 14 March 2025.
The stopgap measure is needed because Congress has failed to pass its annual appropriations bills to fund all the various agencies in the federal government, from the Pentagon to health, welfare, transportation and other routine domestic services.
But the inches-thick bill goes beyond routine funding and tacks on several other measures, including federal funding to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed when struck by a cargo ship. Another provision would transfer the land that is the site of the old RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which could potentially lead to a new stadium for the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
The bill also would have turned off a pay-freeze provision and that could allow a maximum adjustment of 3.8% or $6,600 in 2025, bringing lawmakers’ annual pay to $180,600, according to a Congressional Research Service report. Members of Congress last got a raise in 2009.