Congress veers towards authorities shutdown after GOP revolt led by Trump, Musk
Washington — Congress’ path ahead on authorities funding is in limbo after Home Republicans, with the help of Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump, torpedoed an preliminary deal to avert a shutdown earlier than a Friday evening deadline.
The Home descended into chaos Wednesday when the GOP revolt sank a last-minute funding measure to maintain the federal government working via early subsequent yr.
The huge end-of-year spending laws instantly sparked anger from conservatives when it was unveiled late Tuesday. Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy referred to it on X as a “1,547-page Christmas tree,” whereas Rep. Kat Cammack, a Florida Republican, referred to as it “a band-aid that’s laced with fentanyl.”
The greater than 1,500-page invoice launched Tuesday was removed from a modest stopgap measure. Along with extending authorities funding via March 14, it included catastrophe assist, well being care coverage extenders and a pay elevate for members of Congress, amongst different provisions. The catastrophe aid portion of the invoice got here with a $110 billion price ticket.
Elon Musk, the co-head of Trump’s advisory Division of Authorities Effectivity, chimed in with a barrage of posts Wednesday calling the invoice “prison” and options that Republicans who supported it didn’t belong in Congress. And the opposition culminated in statements from Trump lambasting the brand new spending and threatening a main problem towards any Republican supporting the measure.
The president-elect referred to as on Republicans to strip out the extra spending and added a brand new ingredient as a substitute: elevating the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling, which limits how a lot the federal government can borrow to pay its payments, is suspended till the primary quarter of subsequent yr, however Trump stated he’d favor to drive President Biden to approve elevating the debt ceiling so he would not should signal it.
“I’ll combat ‘until the tip,” Trump wrote.
Prime Home Republicans met Wednesday evening after the preliminary deal fell aside, however a brand new path ahead remained unclear Thursday morning as Congress lurched towards Friday evening’s deadline to fund the federal government.
Although stripping out many of the further funding would fulfill many Republicans, Johnson is prone to want dozens of votes from Democrats, and a few are already slamming Johnson for strolling away from the settlement. They argue Republicans will shoulder any blame for a possible shutdown.
Democrats met in a caucus assembly Thursday morning. Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries stated they’re “resolved to proceed to face up for the most effective pursuits of the American folks,” whereas lambasting Home Republicans who he stated “detonated” the bipartisan settlement as a result of they “have been ordered to close down the federal government.”
“We’re ready to maneuver ahead with the bipartisan settlement that we thought was negotiated in good religion with Home Republicans, together with Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans, that meets the wants of the American folks at this cut-off date,” Jeffries stated. “We’re combating for on a regular basis People who can be harm by a reckless Republican shutdown.”
Jeffries stated a shutdown may be prevented “if Home Republicans will merely do what is true for the American folks” by sticking by the bipartisan settlement. The minority chief outlined that he and the speaker are sustaining an “open line of communication” to see if they’ll “resolve this difficulty.” Jeffries referred to as the debt restrict difficulty and dialogue “untimely at finest.”
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Name, Inc by way of Getty Photos
Spending combat threatens Johnson’s speakership
The preliminary plan to maintain the federal government funded and the chaos that surrounded it additionally prompted intense criticism of Johnson, together with from members of his personal get together. The complete Home will vote to elect a speaker on Jan. 3 when the brand new Congress convenes, and one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, has already indicated they will not help him.
Trump can also be signaling that his help for Johnson is contingent on how the Louisiana Republican proceeds. The president-elect informed Fox Information Digital on Thursday that Johnson would “simply stay speaker” if he “acts decisively and difficult” and eliminates “all the traps being set by Democrats” within the spending package deal. Requested by NBC Information if he nonetheless has confidence in Johnson, Trump replied, “We’ll see.”
“What that they had yesterday was unacceptable,” Trump informed NBC’s Garrett Haake. “In some ways it was unacceptable. It is a Democrat lure.”
Along with the slew of add-ons to the spending invoice, conservatives are offended with Johnson for finishing up the negotiating course of largely occurred exterior of the view of rank-and-file members. Rep. Eric Burlison, a Missouri Republican, referred to as it “a complete dumpster fireplace.”
A handful of Republicans indicated their help for Johnson’s speakership within the new Congress is now in query. With such a slim majority, it could take only some to take him down. Massie, a Kentucky Republican, stated flatly Wednesday that he will not help Johnson within the speaker’s election.
“I am not voting for him,” Massie stated. “This solidifies it.”
In November, Home Republicans backed Johnson to steer for an additional two years throughout their management elections. Over the past speaker combat at first of a brand new Congress in 2023, the slim Republican majority took 15 rounds to elect former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted from the position 9 months later, partly as a consequence of his dealing with of presidency funding.
