A proposed bill aimed at preventing a government shutdown was rejected on the House floor Thursday night after both Democrats and conservatives opposed Speaker Mike Johnson’s new spending plan, which had the backing of Donald Trump.
The bill failed by a wide margin, 174-235, falling short of the required two-thirds majority under a fast-track procedure. Thirty-eight Republicans joined 197 Democrats in voting against the measure, while two Democrats voted in favor, and one voted present.
With government funding set to expire at midnight on Friday, both Elon Musk and Trump intensified a power struggle in Congress, urging Johnson to abandon the bipartisan agreement he had made earlier in the week with top Democrats. Instead, they pushed for a bill more aligned with Republican priorities. The defeat of this Trump-backed proposal highlighted Democrats’ refusal to support a bill unless they are included in the negotiation process.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the House’s leading Democratic appropriator, emphasized the importance of honoring agreements before the vote. “A deal’s a deal,” she said.
She also criticized Musk’s involvement, stating, “Yesterday, a multi-billionaire with seemingly no understanding of government or appropriations — a self-proclaimed president, Elon Musk — issued orders to House Republicans to disregard their own leadership and force a government shutdown.” She added that this set the stage for a fast-tracked shutdown.
In response, GOP leaders may attempt to pass the bill using a simple majority, though they would need almost unanimous Republican support, which has been elusive in recent years due to conservative opposition to funding bills.
The revised package, crafted on Thursday afternoon, includes government funding through March 14, a suspension of the debt ceiling until 2027, and disaster relief, among other priorities. This bill was created after Trump and Musk pushed Republicans to reject the previous plan.
Republican leaders argued that Democrats should back the bill on its merits, as it largely reflected the terms of their previous agreement, despite Johnson’s pivot from the original bipartisan plan. “This keeps the government open. What my friends want to do by voting no is effectively shut it down,” said House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.).
The revised package was put together without Democratic input, which led to frustration among Democrats. They were particularly upset over the removal of various bills they wanted to pass in the final days of the current session, including measures related to hotel reservation pricing transparency and semiconductor supply chain support.
Thursday’s vote came after two days of turmoil and Republican infighting over the stopgap spending deal, which was negotiated by Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The discord started even before Musk and Trump intervened, calling for the bill to include a waiver for the U.S. debt limit, as the national debt surpassed $36 trillion.
Johnson had tried to secure support within his own party for the original deal, but many Republicans were unhappy with the additional spending and policy provisions. Musk fueled opposition online, and Trump’s objections ultimately led to the collapse of the plan on Wednesday.
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