Trump opposes funding bill, pushing government toward shutdown

WASHINGTON President-elect Donald Trump criticized a bipartisan government funding bill Wednesday afternoon, throwing the stopgap measure into chaos just as leaders from both parties hoped to pass it.

The joint statement from Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance seriously undermines the bill's prospects in the Republican-controlled House, where Trump wields significant influence.

The bill would have kept the government open until March 14. A shutdown will occur at 12:01 a.m. Saturday without congressional action. There is currently no fallback plan.

Republicans need to get smart and tough. If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then it's a bluff, Trump and Vance said. It is [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Schumer and [President Joe] Biden delaying aid to our farmers and disaster relief.

In a shocking twist, Trump also demanded that the legislation include an increase in the debt ceiling, something neither party had even considered. That's expected to happen in the middle of next year, and Trump has made it clear he wants it to happen on Biden's watch.

Raising the debt ceiling is not a good thing, but we prefer to do it on Biden's watch, Trump and Vance said. If Democrats won't cooperate now on the debt ceiling, what makes you think they would in June under our administration? Let's have this debate now. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn't give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want.

Trump's statement indicates that the solution lies in a temporary financing bill WITHOUT DEMOCRATIC COMPETITION combined with an increase in the debt ceiling. Anything else is a betrayal of our country.

Various conservatives, inside and outside of Congress, criticized the legislation released Tuesday by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

It's a damn sandwich, said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. I don't know how else to say that. We were forced to adopt this position.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., warned that if Republicans abandoned the deal, they would be responsible for shutting down the government.

House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government, Jeffries wrote on X. And harm the American working class they claim to support. You break the bipartisan agreement, you assume the consequences that flow from it.

A Trump transition team official said the president-elect's opposition to CR was part of “practicing what he preaches.”

There is no way, I mean none, that he supports DOGE and also a 1,500 page CR,” the official said, referring to the Department of Government Effectiveness that Trump requested from billionaire Elon Musk and for former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to run.

Asked why Trump waited hours after Musk, Ramaswamy and others criticized the bill, the official said: He left everyone wondering what he wanted to do. All eyes were on him. When he moved out, it was over. He is president before he becomes president.

The fight against government funding is the latest area where Trump has weighed in and attempted to direct his policy despite not yet being president. As Bidens recedes from public view and his term draws to a close, Trump has already attempted to shape his foreign policy as well.

Musk intervenes

In the 24 hours after the bill was released, Musk criticized it in a torrent of messages to his more than 200 million followers on X before calling for a month-long government shutdown until January 20, when Trump will be sworn in.

Kill the bill, Musk wrote.

He encouraged and thanked various Republican lawmakers who announced they would vote against the measure, adding, “One of the worst bills ever written.”

Some House Republicans felt encouraged by Elon Musk's attack on the legislation, which would keep the government open until March 14 and include provisions to give lawmakers a pay raise, among many other measures policies negotiated by the two parties.

I love it, Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., said of the opposition. And I like the fact that they're paying attention, because I didn't come here to continue this reckless financing process.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., also congratulated Musk.

Elon published a pretty serious article there. But you know, that's the feeling of the American people, she said. This is why we won on November 5th. Everyone is tired of overspending.

Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., chairman of the far-right Freedom Caucus, said Wednesday: The American people did not send their representatives to Washington to vote on a 1,500-page bill in less than 24 hours which spends 110 dollars. billion dollars, adds $110 billion to the deficit, without having the opportunity to propose an amendment to perhaps pay for this bill. The process is interrupted.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said a government shutdown would be unfortunate because it would put many people at risk, especially those who need related disaster assistance.

She also wondered if Trump was being tricked by Musk.

You have to ask Donald Trump if Elon Musk makes the decisions, Shaheen said Wednesday.

Some Republicans blame Johnson for the disorder.

Johnson really fucked this up. He introduced a very bad bill, said a Republican Senate leadership aide familiar with the discussions.

When asked if the bill was dead, the aide responded, “Well, you see… but it looks very bad.”

What is plan B?

Members of Congress have little time to come up with an alternative plan. One idea that is gaining momentum, including within Johnson's team, multiple sources told NBC News, is the adoption of a “clean” continuing resolution, or CR, that is. say a bill that maintains federal funding at current levels, plus funding for disaster relief.

Other options could include a clean CR without disaster funding or a CR with disaster money and a farm bill extension. What the final bill will look like remains up in the air, with one MP saying nothing is set in stone.

The president's office declined to share a path forward, and top Republican members were in Johnson's office Wednesday evening to determine what happens next. The House said it would hold no more votes Wednesday while those discussions take place.

Far-right members who opposed the CR because of the additional political attachments seemed open to a cleaner version.

“If that’s the case, it’s a big victory for conservatism,” Burlison said on Fox News. “This is a big win for Elon Musk and Ramaswamy and their efforts, and I'm thrilled about it because this city needs outside pressure if it's going to actually start doing the things that are necessary to save this republic. (Vivek Ramaswamy is co-chair, with Musk, of Trump's “Department of Government Effectiveness.”)

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, echoed that sentiment. “What we should do is just do a simple CR with a very simple small additional disaster amount for the people in the tents in North Carolina. And that's it,” he said. “That’s what we were talking about doing.

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