The US House of Representatives rejected Donald Trump’s new plan on Thursday to fund federal operations and suspend the debt ceiling a day before a government shutdown, as Democrats refused to accommodate his demands.
Earlier on Thursday, US president-elect had called on congress to avert a shutdown, saying there had been “success” in crafting a new plan to fund the government and lift the debt ceiling until 2027.
Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk had publicly, which had Republicans in congress ready for a holiday-season government shutdown.
But on Thursday, Trump announced a new deal and urged both Republicans and Democrats to vote for it.
“SUCCESS in Washington! Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have come to a very good Deal for the American People,” Trump posted on social media.
But Democrats shot back at the new deal, with Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling it “laughable” and making it unlikely that Democrats will provide their votes.
“The… proposal is not serious, it’s laughable. Extreme MAGA Republicans are driving us to a government shutdown,” Jeffries said.
Given the tight voting margins, it is not certain that the bill can pass. The deadline to avert the shutdown is Friday at midnight.
Republicans currently control the House with a slim 219-211 majority, which means they cannot lose more than three votes if Democrats unite against the bill.
Musk and Trump apply pressure
Republicans and Democratic leaders had reached a compromise on a so-called stopgap bill, which is known as a “continuing resolution,” to keep the government funded through mid-March 2025.
But Trump’s billionaire donor Elon Musk attacked the bill on X, the social media platform he owns, amplifying criticisms over numerous costly provisions that were on the bill.
Later, Trump himself attacked the deal and threatened the reelection prospects of Republicans thinking of supporting it. The president-elect also demanding that the bill increase or even rid the country of its debt limit.
What is in the deal?
Republicans scrambled to put together a new bill that could be to Trump’s liking. The new package would fund government operations for three months, would provide $100 billion in disaster aid and $10 billion in farm aid, extend farm and food aid programs that were due to expire at the end of the year.
The bill scraps elements in the original package that Musk and other detractors had objected to, such such as a pay raise for lawmakers and new rules for pharmacy benefit managers.
The most surprising part of the package is the suspension of the debt ceiling until January 2027, which could clear the way for trillions of dollars to be added to the already ballooning $36 trillion federal debt.
jcg/jsi (Reuters, AP, AFP)
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