US Government Funding Bill, Backed by Trump, Fails to Pass in House

A United States government shutdown looms after the House of Representatives voted against a spending bill endorsed by Donald Trump. Dozens of Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting a revised funding measure, thereby defying the president-elect. Should an agreement not be reached by midnight local time on Friday, certain federal operations are slated to cease starting in the early hours. House Republican leaders committed to resolving the deadlock concerning government funding prior to the impending deadline. Government shutdowns occur with comparative frequency in the US, a situation distinct from many other nations, stemming from a 1980 act that fundamentally established a “no budget, no spending” rule. Consequently, if the US Congress—comprising the House of Representatives and the Senate—fails to authorize a budget, the federal government is deprived of funds, leading to the swift cessation of non-essential services and the suspension of pay for numerous public employees. Essential services, primarily those linked to public safety, remain operational, with their personnel mandated to report for duty without compensation. This typically encompasses border protection, hospital care, air traffic control, law enforcement, and power grid maintenance. Services categorized as non-essential, including the food assistance program, federally funded pre-school, the issuance of student loans, food inspections, and the operation of national parks, are all slated for disruption. This most recent spending proposal marked the second in as many days that did not secure the two-thirds majority required for passage in the lower chamber of Congress, with 38 Republicans casting votes against the measure on Thursday night. This outcome defied Trump, who, the preceding day, had undermined an earlier bipartisan funding agreement forged by Republican House leadership with Democrats, following intense criticism from tech billionaire Elon Musk. The Tesla founder, whom Trump has assigned to identify spending reductions by co-leading the Department of Government Efficiency (a body not recognized as an official government department), engaged in extensive lobbying against the initial deal through numerous posts on X, the social media platform he owns. Musk labeled the bill “criminal” and frequently cited inaccurate assertions regarding the legislation in his online communications. On X, Musk stated that any lawmaker “who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years”. Following Musk’s mobilization of opposition to the spending bill, Trump and incoming vice-president JD Vance delivered the decisive blow to Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson’s agreement on Wednesday evening. In a joint statement, they expressed a desire for streamlined legislation devoid of the Democratic-supported provisions that Johnson had incorporated. Furthermore, they urged Congress to either increase or abolish the debt ceiling, which governs the government’s borrowing capacity to cover its expenditures, and to restrict the funding legislation solely to temporary spending and disaster relief. They characterized any alternative as “a betrayal of our country”. Subsequent to the initial bill’s defeat by a vote of 174 to 235, Johnson stated his intention to devise an alternative solution before government funding expires at midnight on Friday. The House then proceeded to vote on this amended version on Thursday, which incorporated certain concessions to Trump’s requirements. However, dissenting Republicans opposed it due to their objection to increased government spending, while Democrats voted against it, asserting that the additional borrowing would facilitate tax cuts for affluent individuals. The present stalemate has roots in September, when a different budget deadline approached. Johnson was unsuccessful in passing a six-month funding extension, as Democrats opposed it because it contained a provision (the SAVE Act) mandating proof of citizenship for voting. Instead, Congress reached a bipartisan agreement on a minimal bill designed to fund the government through the end of 20 December. The subsequent course of action remains uncertain. Lawmakers are anticipated to reconvene on Friday morning, with fewer than 24 hours remaining before a potential shutdown. While any funding bill will necessitate bipartisan backing for approval, the partisan blame game is actively underway. Following the rejection of Thursday’s bill, Johnson informed reporters that it was “very disappointing” that nearly all House Democrats had opposed it. Nevertheless, Democrats are improbable to assist Johnson with support for a revised funding bill, holding him responsible for violating their bipartisan accord. Furthermore, some appeared to mock Republicans for seemingly taking guidance from the unelected Musk. On Thursday on the House floor, Connecticut Representative Rosa DeLauro, the leading Democratic appropriator in the House, referred to the billionaire as “President Musk,” eliciting laughter from her Democratic colleagues. This situation also presents a significant challenge for Johnson, given that the House is scheduled to vote in merely 15 days on the selection of the House Speaker for the upcoming Congress. What was previously perceived as a secure position for Johnson now appears considerably less certain. Johnson is not the sole individual facing a difficult predicament; this event served as the initial major test of Trump’s influence over current congressional Republicans, and a notable number of them hesitated during Thursday’s vote. The most recent government shutdown occurred from 21 December 2018 to 25 January 2019, marking the longest such event on record. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) calculated that it diminished economic output by approximately $11bn, with $3bn of that amount never recovered. North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher provides analysis of US politics in his twice-weekly US Election Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can subscribe via this link, while those outside the UK can sign up here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available here.