Congress flirts with a holiday shutdown as GOP objects to bipartisan spending bill

Updated December 18, 2024 at 20:57 PM ET

Republican lawmakers are scrambling to avoid a government shutdown days before Christmas after President-elect Donald Trump and his close advisers came out against a bipartisan spending bill meant to fund the government until March 14.

Government funding runs out at the end of the day on Friday and congressional leaders had hoped to pass a roughly 1,500 page bipartisan spending bill that includes other year-end priorities like farm subsidies, disaster aid and a pay raise for lawmakers. But GOP lawmakers and Trump advisers like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy on Wednesday pushed House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to back out of the bipartisan deal.

Musk spent the day campaigning against the bill on social media, personally thanking lawmakers who said they won't support it, and calling on Congress not to pass any bills until Trump takes office.

Ramaswamy shared similar messages on social media platforms and other influential conservative voices like Heritage Action, also came out against the bill.

Even members of the House Appropriations Committee, like Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., were venting frustrations.

"In late September, when we passed this last [spending bill], we said we needed to do it because we were running out of time, and here we are at the end of the next deadline, and we're still running out of time," Womack said on Tuesday before the final text was released. "The American people are as tired of this as most appropriators."

The widespread frustration among Republicans could spell trouble for Johnson as he works to retain the gavel for the next session of Congress.

Republican leaders defend the legislation

Johnson told "Fox and Friends" Wednesday that with this bill, "we are clearing the decks and we are setting up for Trump to come in roaring back with the America-First agenda."

Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the incoming Senate majority leader, told reporters in the Capitol the bill reflected bipartisan talks that are necessary with Democrats still in power.

"Anytime you are negotiating with a Democratic Senate and a Democratic White House, there are things you don't like," Thune said. "At the end of the day, we've got some of this stuff wrapped up hopefully at the end of this year so we're not dealing with it all next year."

The spending bill would fund the government at current levels until March 14. It also includes other unfinished business including: roughly $100 billion in federal aid for communities damaged by natural disasters like hurricanes Milton and Helene and wildfires in Maui; money to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which collapsed in March, and a pay raise for lawmakers.

House Republicans have also criticized Johnson for giving them little time to review the bill and forgoing a promise to stick to a 72-hour review period for members to assess legislation. Some have floated withholding votes for Johnson on Jan. 3, when the House convenes to elect a speaker.

"It is really a laughingstock. I mean, this [spending bill] is a joke," Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley told reporters. "And by the way, who it's worst for is Donald Trump. It only goes until March. So March 14th, we're going to do this all over again, right in the middle of Trump's [first] 100 days."

Democrats stand behind the bipartisan deal

The legislation released on Tuesday was the result of extensive bipartisan negotiations and Democrats said Wednesday that they were unwilling to back away from that pact.

"A deal is a deal. Republicans should keep their word," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

House Democrats delivered a sentiment in a brief statement to reporters in the Capitol. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Republicans will "own any harm" if a shutdown happens at the end of the week.

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