The tension in the U.S. House of Representatives reached a boiling point Thursday evening, as Republicans attempted to fast-track a government funding measure. Unfortunately for them, the maneuver failed to garner enough support, bringing the government one step closer to a shutdown. The proposed measure required a two-thirds majority, but the vote came up short: 174 in favor, 235 against, and one member present. With funding set to run out on Friday night, lawmakers are racing against time to prevent the shutdown. The bill itself, designed to keep the government running through mid-March and suspend the debt ceiling for two years, still faces a tough road ahead. It would need approval from the Senate, controlled by the Democrats, and even if it made it there, President Biden has already signaled his refusal to sign it.
House GOP leaders still have a chance to move the bill forward through regular channels, bypassing the two-thirds majority requirement by sending it through committee. This would allow them to attempt another vote with a simple majority. However, the path to passing the bill is anything but clear. Dozens of Republicans voted against it, and only two Democrats offered their support. Lawmakers, particularly those in the Republican camp, are under pressure to come up with a solution to keep the government funded before the clock runs out.
In an early Friday morning statement, House Speaker Mike Johnson sounded a note of determination: “We’re expecting votes this morning, so stay tuned — we’ve got a plan.” Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has been at the center of the effort to get a deal done, but his party is deeply divided on the matter.
So, what's at stake with this proposed measure? The deal would provide three months of government funding, suspend the debt ceiling until January 2027, and allocate $110 billion in disaster relief. It also includes a renewal of the farm bill for a year and funding for the reconstruction of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. There's even a provision for extending health care policies that have bipartisan support. But the heart of the controversy lies in the fact that the measure is the product of a contentious process, with GOP members divided, and little input from Democrats.
The drama intensified on Wednesday when a revolt within the GOP, led by none other than President-elect Donald Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk, derailed the original deal House Speaker Johnson had worked out with the Democrats. In the wake of this rebellion, Republicans scrambled Thursday to come up with a new plan, one that was crafted with little to no input from their Democratic counterparts.
Despite the upheaval, Speaker Johnson defended the revised bill on Thursday evening, claiming that it still contained some bipartisan provisions. “The only change in this legislation is that we are going to push the debt limit to January 30, 2027,” he remarked, highlighting the key shift in the proposal. The new version is far slimmer than its predecessor, cutting the bill down from a hefty 1,547 pages to a more manageable 116 pages. Trump quickly gave his stamp of approval, calling it a "SUCCESS" and "a very good deal."
However, Democrats weren’t so impressed. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) labeled the revised proposal "not serious" and "laughable." Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) praised the failed vote as an opportunity to return to a more bipartisan agreement. "Now it's time to go back to the bipartisan agreement," Schumer said, underscoring the growing divide between the two parties.
The White House, for its part, weighed in late Thursday with a statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who sharply criticized the Republicans' proposal. "Mr. Biden supports the bipartisan agreement to keep the government open, help communities recovering from disasters, and lower costs — not this giveaway for billionaires that Republicans are proposing at the 11th hour," Jean-Pierre stated, reflecting the administration's frustration with the Republican approach.
One of the key flashpoints in the ongoing debate is the debt ceiling. As GOP anger grew over the initial proposal, Trump amplified calls for Republicans to strip out additional spending and focus on the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling, which limits how much the government can borrow to pay its bills, is temporarily suspended until the first quarter of next year. But Trump has made it clear that he wants it eliminated entirely or extended far into the future, perhaps even to 2029. “Congress must get rid of, or extend out to, perhaps, 2029, the ridiculous Debt Ceiling,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social app. “Without this, we should never make a deal.”
The battle over the debt ceiling is a high-stakes political chess game, with the looming possibility of a shutdown further complicating the situation. Trump’s remarks suggest that he is playing a long game, aiming to force President Biden into a position where he would have to approve a debt ceiling increase.
Meanwhile, Democrats are taking aim at the GOP for abandoning the bipartisan agreement that was negotiated in good faith. Jeffries and his colleagues argue that Republicans are putting the American people at risk by pushing for a shutdown. "We are prepared to move forward with the bipartisan agreement that we thought was negotiated in good faith," Jeffries said Thursday, urging Republicans to keep their word. He also emphasized that Republicans would bear the brunt of the blame if a shutdown occurs, arguing that it could harm everyday Americans.
As the days tick down to the funding deadline, Speaker Johnson faces growing pressure to navigate the deeply polarized environment and deliver a deal that satisfies both factions of his party. But with so many Republicans unhappy with the direction of the negotiations, and with a potential shutdown hanging over everything, Johnson’s leadership is coming under intense scrutiny.
The situation is complicated further by the upcoming speaker vote on January 3. In the new Congress, Republicans will vote to elect a speaker, and Johnson’s position could be in jeopardy. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has already said he won’t support Johnson in the speaker’s election, and there’s growing concern within the GOP about how Johnson has handled the negotiations. Even Trump, who has been supportive of Johnson in the past, has made it clear that his continued backing depends on how Johnson navigates the current crisis. “What they had yesterday was unacceptable,” Trump said, criticizing the deal as a "Democrat trap."
Within the GOP, frustration is mounting over how the negotiations have been handled. Some conservatives feel that Johnson has excluded rank-and-file members from the process, and Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) didn’t mince words, calling the situation “a total dumpster fire.” With such a slim Republican majority in the House, it would only take a handful of defections to threaten Johnson’s hold on the speakership.
The stakes are high for Speaker Johnson as he tries to balance the demands of his party while avoiding a shutdown that could have far-reaching consequences for the country. With time running out, it remains to be seen whether Republicans can unite behind a plan that will keep the government funded and avoid a costly shutdown. Meanwhile, Democrats are holding their ground, continuing to push for a bipartisan solution that serves the best interests of the American people. The coming days will be critical in determining whether a deal can be reached, or if Washington will be plunged into yet another crisis.
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