Trump, Vance criticize Johnson's government funding deal, demand debt ceiling raised

CNN-

President-elect Donald Trump delivered a missive to the Capitol on Wednesday that dramatically increased the chances of a government shutdown just before Christmas, while sending the clearest signal yet that he is seeking a dramatic showdown with Democrats over expenses.

Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance on Wednesday sharply criticized a federal government funding deal through March 14 that was negotiated by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, undermining support for the plan on Capitol Hill a few days before the closing deadline.

Trump and Vance criticized the bill because it included what they see as Democratic priorities, but also introduced the politically sensitive issue of the U.S. debt ceiling, which the country is on track to reach after its recovery in the new year.

Republicans want to support our farmers, fund disaster relief and set our country up for success in 2025, Trump and Vance said in a statement. The only way to do this is to pass a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRATIC COMPETITION combined with an increase in the debt ceiling. Anything else is a betrayal of our country.

Within hours, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters that the funding plan had been officially scrapped.

Scalise, who said he had not spoken directly with Trump on Wednesday evening, said a new deal had not been reached and that Republicans were discussing how to tie up the debt ceiling increase to government funding, in response to the last minute election of the president. request.

As he left the Capitol later Wednesday, the Louisiana Republican said he would continue working through the night and into the morning to reach a deal we could present, adding, “We're not there yet.”

Hopefully we'll resolve it tomorrow, we'll have to see, Scalise said.

Throughout the day Wednesday, Trump had privately destroyed the spending deal in conversations, multiple sources told CNN. That opposition sparked a stampede among Republican lawmakers, and Republicans on Capitol Hill described Trump's opposition as the final death knell for Johnson's spending deal. It also raised questions about whether the Louisiana Republican would benefit from Trump's support for his own run for president in just over two weeks.

Johnson unveiled the text of his government funding plan on Tuesday evening, but he was sharply criticized by the right wing of his party for being too supportive of Democratic priorities. It would likely take Democrats to pass the bill in both houses of Congress.

Then came Trump and Vance's last-minute statement, which called on Republicans to take a tough approach to spending. They called on Republicans to attach their demands for the debt limit debate to the bill to keep the government open.

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 wrote in the statement.

Let's have this debate now, they wrote on the debt ceiling. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn't give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want.

The last-minute grenade in the spending fight after a bipartisan deal has already been reached significantly increases the risks of a Capitol shutdown. Top Democrats quickly signaled they would be unwilling to follow Trump's new calls for a streamlined spending deal that would wring billions of dollars from policies that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries already had. negotiated with Johnson.

House Republicans were ordered to dissolve the government. And harm the American working class they claim to support, Jeffries wrote in an article on agreement with Johnson. You break the bipartisan agreement, you assume the consequences that flow from it.

House Democrats plan to meet in the morning, according to a senior Democratic aide. Senate Democrats, who also must pass a bill before funding runs out Saturday, pledged Wednesday night to stick to the deal they reached, saying after meeting in the room that there was an agreement and it was time to vote.

Leaving his office on Capitol Hill, less than an hour after releasing the joint statement with Trump, Vance said he supported a clean continuing resolution, or CR, only if it was tied to an increase in the debt ceiling.

What the president thinks is that we should support a clean CR as long as it contains an increase in the debt ceiling, Vance said in response to a question from CNN. That's the president's position and that's what we're going to try to push for.

Later Wednesday evening, the vice president-elect told reporters as he left Johnson's office that they had a productive conversation, but said Republicans were still in the middle of negotiations.

But I think we'll be able to resolve some issues here, and we'll continue to work on them, Vance said.

The avalanche Trump unleashed Wednesday afternoon by opposing Johnson's spending plan at the last minute suggests that Trump's second term could be marked by the same style of chaotic governing that he displayed during his first, even though Republicans will control both houses of Congress next year.

Johnson and his leadership team now have no obvious path forward, according to multiple GOP sources. It's a remarkable reversal from just hours earlier, when members of Johnson's leadership team were feeling mostly positive about how the bill would land within the GOP, many said from these same sources.

But that support quickly collapsed Wednesday afternoon, as key Trump ally Elon Musk suggested that Republicans who supported the deal should be prioritized. A House Republican source described the plan as falling apart in the wake of Musk's posts, leading to a flurry of calls to members' offices.

All these things that we didn't even know were on the table, that are suddenly here and we have potentially less than 24 hours to vote on this, Republican Rep. Michael Cloud of Texas told CNN. This is everything that's wrong with Washington and everything we promised we wouldn't support.

While many in the GOP sought to resolve this disaster and get help from farmers, many conservatives were also furious that Johnson allowed such an important project to be rushed through at the end of the year.

Once Musk pressured Republicans to vote against the bill, support for the package began to plummet, even though lawmakers appeared to be publicly holding their positions.

We'll see Elon's new power, said Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, who is against the spending bill and hopes Elon's pressure campaign will influence his colleagues.

A moderate Republican Rep. from Nebraska, Don Bacon, who supports the package, told CNN that Elon Musk was premature to oppose it so quickly when there were plenty of Republican victories.

He should have known the facts, Bacon added.

Republican Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, said it would be very difficult to pass a debt limitation measure before Friday's deadline, but said said that if Trump wanted it, I think maybe we should look at it.

It's complicated enough without that, House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers said of linking the two.

Republicans in the Senate also pushed back on the likelihood of passing a new bill.

Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota added a dose of skepticism to the move, telling CNN: “I'm open to ideas on this, but I don't know how to proceed.”

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the new chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she was surprised by Trump's debt ceiling request, saying, “I don't know his reasoning,” and raising her hands when asked if such an increase was realistic.

As Collins walked with reporters, she encountered outgoing Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, who joked, “Oh, that's how it's going to be next year.”

The debt ceiling, which was suspended by the bipartisan Fiscal Responsibility Act in June 2023, will return on January 2. The Treasury will then have to use the liquidity it has, as well as so-called extraordinary measures, to continue paying. nations bill on time and in full. These efforts will likely last several months, perhaps into the summer, giving Congress time to act to avoid a first-ever default.

The 2023 deal was months in the making and brought the country closer to defaulting, which would have triggered global economic chaos and had major consequences for the finances of many Americans.

Established by Congress, the debt ceiling is the maximum amount the federal government can borrow to finance obligations already approved by lawmakers and presidents. The Treasury must borrow to pay its bills since the United States spends more than it takes in, resulting in a budget deficit.

The country's debt currently stands at $36.2 trillion.

This story has been updated with additional developments.

CNN's Morgan Rimmer, Ted Barrett, Tami Luhby, Clare Foran and Kit Maher contributed to this report.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos