Republicans in the U.S. Congress announced Thursday they have agreed to a new spending package that averts an impending government shutdown. This time, it received support from President-elect Donald Trump, who abandoned previous bipartisan proposals.
“There’s an agreement,” Republican Rep. Tom Cole, chairman of the committee that oversees spending, told reporters.
Republicans had scheduled a vote in the House of Representatives at 6 p.m., but it was unclear whether the vote would be successful.
Hakeem Jeffries, the top House Democrat, called the plan “ridiculous.” “That’s outrageous!” could be heard cheering from Democrats attending the closed session to discuss the bill.
Republicans control the chamber with a 219-211 majority, and even if Democrats band together to oppose the bill, Republicans could lose up to three votes. Democrats also now have a majority in the Senate and will need support from Democratic President Joe Biden to sign the bill and avoid a shutdown starting Saturday.
If lawmakers fail to meet that deadline, the U.S. government will begin a partial shutdown, suspending funding for everything from border security to law enforcement and cutting off more than 2 million federal employees in the days leading up to Christmas. salary will be terminated. The Transportation Security Administration warned that travelers could face long lines at airports.
President Trump called on lawmakers to vote yes on the package. The president-elect asked lawmakers to finish up the loose ends before he takes office on January 20th.
“Now we can make America great again, very quickly,” President Trump said in a statement.
The new package would fund government operations for three months until President Trump takes the White House and Republicans control both chambers of Congress, according to people familiar with the package. It would also provide $100 billion in disaster relief and $10 billion in agricultural aid, extending the agriculture and food assistance program that was scheduled to expire at the end of the year. The bill does not include other elements included in the original package, such as pay increases for lawmakers and new rules for pharmacy benefit managers.
The policy also suspends the debt ceiling until January 2027, which could add trillions of dollars to the $36 trillion federal debt.
President Trump’s acceptance of the deal signals a softening of his previous calls for Congress to completely eliminate the debt ceiling before returning to office.
Previous disputes over the debt ceiling have spooked financial markets, with concerns that a default by the U.S. government would cause a credit shock around the world. The restrictions are technically suspended under the agreement, which expires on Jan. 1, but lawmakers likely won’t have to address the issue until the spring.
When he returns to office, Trump aims to enact a tax cut bill that could reduce revenue by $8 trillion over 10 years, increasing the debt without offsetting spending cuts. He vowed not to cut retirement and health benefits for seniors, which make up the bulk of the budget and are expected to increase dramatically in the coming years.
Jefferies said on the same day that it was “premature” to discuss action on the debt ceiling.
“This is not about the next president, this is not about millionaires and billionaires, this is about the damage House Republicans will do to the American people if the government is shut down,” he said at a news conference. Ta.
Earlier, several Republican lawmakers said they were not interested in lifting the debt ceiling unless they also cut spending. “It’s like increasing credit card limits without actually doing anything to curb spending,” Rep. Chip Roy told reporters.
Is Johnson in trouble?
The last government shutdowns were in December 2018 and January 2019 during President Trump’s first term.
The uproar also threatens to topple House Speaker Mike Johnson, a mild-mannered Louisianan who was suddenly thrust into the House speaker position last year after the right wing of the party voted down then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy over a government funding bill. there were. Johnson has repeatedly had to ask Democrats for help passing legislation when he is unable to deliver votes from his own party.
Some Republicans have said they will not vote for him to be speaker when Congress reconvenes in January, potentially setting off another tumultuous leadership race in the weeks leading up to Trump’s inauguration.
“We must stand firm with the American people to stop this madness!! No matter what. Even if we have to elect new leadership,” Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said on social media. he said on social media.
Mr. Trump offered appropriate support to the embattled speaker.
He told Fox News Digital: “If the Speaker can act decisively and forcefully and remove all of the traps set by Democrats that are destroying our country, economically and otherwise, I will easily continue as Speaker.” spoke.
