Congress in disarray and shutdown looms as Trump, Musk eye spending deal

America might face a authorities shutdown at midnight Saturday after President-elect Donald Trump referred to as on Republican lawmakers to reject a bipartisan funding invoice that will have saved the federal government funded by March.

Trump urged Congress to scrap the deal and cross a lighter model with fewer provisions. His intervention adopted robust criticism of the invoice by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Rep. Steve Scalise, the Republican majority chief within the Home, indicated Wednesday night that the invoice was lifeless after Trump denounced it.

The short-term funding invoice might want to cross Congress by the top of the week to stop the closure of federal authorities workplaces beginning Saturday.

Now Republican leaders should return to the drafting board, and so they solely have till 11:59 p.m. EDT (04:59 GMT) to succeed in an settlement earlier than funding expires and the federal government shuts down.

A authorities shutdown would pressure federal companies – starting from the Nationwide Park Service to the Border Patrol – to restrict and start shutting down their operations this weekend.

Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance delivered the ultimate blow to Home Speaker Mike Johnson’s bipartisan funding invoice on Wednesday night, following a strain marketing campaign by Mr. Musk on X.

Mr. Musk, who Trump has charged with chopping authorities spending in his incoming administration, lobbied exhausting in opposition to the present deal a number of instances on Wednesday in opposition to the invoice, typically with false statements.

The president and vice president-elect are pushing for simplified laws that doesn’t embrace the Democratic-backed provisions Johnson negotiated together with his colleagues throughout the aisle.

The now-dead bipartisan deal would have prolonged authorities funding till March 14, a number of months after Trump returns to the White Home.

This laws is critical as a result of Congress by no means handed a funds for fiscal yr 2025, which started October 1. As a substitute, lawmakers selected to cross an extension of the short-term funding till December 20.

In addition they referred to as in a joint assertion for Congress to boost the debt ceiling, which determines how a lot the federal government can borrow to pay its payments, and to restrict financing laws to short-term spending and emergency aid. catastrophe occasion.

“Republicans need to help our farmers, fund catastrophe aid, and set our nation up for fulfillment in 2025. The one approach to try this is with a brief funding invoice WITHOUT DEMOCRATIC GIFTS mixed with a rise within the cap debt,” the assertion mentioned. learn.

They referred to as the rest a “betrayal of our nation.”

In posts on his social media website Reality Social, Trump threatened to assist unseat “any Republican who’s silly sufficient to” vote for the present model of the invoice, which was unveiled Tuesday.

“If Democrats threaten to close down the federal government except we give them all the pieces they need, then it’s a bluff,” he mentioned.

Johnson’s 1,500-page persevering with decision included greater than $110 billion (£88 billion) in emergency catastrophe help and $30 billion (£23 billion) in help to farmers . It additionally included lawmakers’ first pay increase since 2009, federal funds to rebuild a collapsed bridge in Baltimore, well being care reforms and provisions to stop inns and dwell occasion venues from to have interaction in deceptive promoting.

It is unclear precisely how Johnson plans to proceed. The 2 events meet on Thursday to determine the trail ahead for his or her social gathering.

Democrats are unlikely to assist Johnson by supporting a revamped funding invoice, blaming him for breaking their bipartisan settlement.

“You break the bipartisan settlement, you face the results that comply with,” Democratic Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries posted on X.

White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre launched an announcement after Trump got here out in opposition to the invoice, saying: “Republicans have to cease taking part in politics with this bipartisan deal or they are going to hurt to American employees and can create instability throughout the nation. »

“Triggering a harmful authorities shutdown would hurt households,” President Joe Biden’s spokesperson continued, including: “A deal is a deal. Republicans ought to maintain their phrase.”

There have been 21 U.S. authorities shutdowns or partial shutdowns previously 5 a long time – the longest occurring throughout Trump’s first time period, when the federal government was shut down for 35 days.