WASHINGTON – A House Republican bill to fund the government for three months and suspend the debt ceiling for two years was rejected Thursday night, with dozens of rank-and-file Republicans voting against a deal backed by President-elect Donald Trump. It was therefore rejected.
A partial shutdown is expected to begin late Friday night unless a deal or bill providing funding to the federal government passes and is signed by both chambers of Congress.
A total of 38 Republican members of Congress voted against the bill introduced by their own party’s leaders. The 38 people included all Democrats except two who voted yes and one who voted present.
Late Thursday, it was unclear what House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) would do next, given the volume of opposition to the bill from within his own party.
President Trump and his ally, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, had already doomed an earlier funding proposal by harshly criticizing its provisions on Wednesday, and Republicans largely rejected the alternative on Thursday. We had to scramble to find ideas.
The latest failed version of the continuing resolution would suspend the U.S. debt ceiling for two years. The cap is the maximum amount the federal government can borrow to pay for spending.
The suspension was a surprising last-minute addition to the proposal, as raising the debt ceiling typically requires months of negotiations.
U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Democratic Leader Katherine Clark, House Democratic Party Leader He spoke to the press along with Congressional Chairman Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.). December 19, 2024, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The government injected funds last Friday, raising the possibility of a partial shutdown.
Leah Millis | Reuters
But President Trump said Wednesday that he does not want Congress to vote on the debt ceiling immediately after taking office in January. President Trump this week called for a permanent lifting of the debt ceiling.
The new proposal also calls for an extension of $110 billion in disaster relief and farm aid, which was a key demand from House Democrats.
Democrats hold a minority of seats in the House, but Republicans hold a majority by just a few seats, making it difficult to pass significant legislation without at least some degree of bipartisan support.
