Trump-backed bill to keep US government running fails to pass

The US House of Representatives voted against a funding measure backed by Donald Trump, bringing a government shutdown this weekend one step closer.

A revised spending plan failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed in the lower house of Congress, and 38 Republicans voted against the bill Thursday night, defying the president-elect.

Trump had scuttled a previous cross-party funding deal that House Republican leaders had struck with Democrats after strong criticism of the measure from tech billionaire Elon Musk.

After the bill failed 174 to 235, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would propose another solution on Friday before government funding expires at midnight.

The replacement bill passed by Trump would have tied government funding to a two-year suspension of the federal debt limit, which determines how much the government can borrow to pay its bills.

Here are five things to know about the possible government shutdown:

The impending government shutdown dates back to September, when another budget deadline loomed.

Johnson failed to approve a six-month funding extension. Most Democrats voted against the extension, which included a measure (the SAVE Act) to require proof of citizenship to vote.

Instead, Congress reached a bipartisan agreement for a basic bill that would keep the government funded through December 20.

Johnson promised his Republican conference that in December, when funding was set to expire, they would not have to vote on an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink spending bill before the Christmas recess.

But when congressional leaders released the text of the latest spending bill on Tuesday, three days before lawmakers took a break for the holidays, it was a total of 1,547 pages.

The bill would have extended government funding through March 14, nearly three months after Trump returns to the White House.

It included more than $110 billion (£88 billion) in emergency disaster relief and $30 billion in aid to farmers; the first pay increase for lawmakers since 2009; federal funds to rebuild a bridge that collapsed in Baltimore; health reforms; and provisions intended to prevent hotels and live event venues from receiving misleading advertising.

Some Republicans criticized Johnson for abandoning a more basic spending bill, specifically condemning left-leaning provisions that were negotiated to win support from Democrats.

Johnson defended the deal, blaming “acts of chance” for the need for some of the additional provisions, such as disaster relief and assistance to farmers.

Still, opposition to Johnson’s spending deal grew on Wednesday.

Musk, who Trump has tasked with identifying spending cuts by co-heading the Department of Government Efficiency (which is It is not an official government department.), lobbied hard against the existing agreement with dozens of publications on X.

He called it “criminal” and often referenced false statements about the bill in his posts.

Musk wrote on X that any lawmaker “who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be eliminated within 2 years.”

After Musk generated opposition to the spending bill, Trump and JD Vance, the incoming vice president, dealt the final blow to Johnson’s deal that night.

They said in a joint statement that they wanted streamlined legislation without the Democratic-backed provisions that Johnson had included.

They also called on Congress to raise or eliminate the debt ceiling, which determines how much the government can borrow to pay its bills, and to limit funding legislation to temporary spending and disaster relief.

Anything else they described as “betrayal of our country.”

Johnson and House Republicans introduced the streamlined legislation on Thursday, which then failed in a vote that night. It is unclear what they will do next.

Lawmakers are not expected to vote again on Thursday, meaning they will return Friday morning with less than 24 hours left until a possible shutdown.

But it’s clear that the partisan blame game is in full swing. After Thursday’s bill was rejected, Johnson told reporters it was “very disappointing” that nearly all House Democrats had voted against it.

“I think it’s really irresponsible of us to risk a shutdown over these issues over things they’ve already agreed upon,” he said.

Johnson will likely need Democratic support, especially since divisions within his own party over the bill became clear this week.

But Democrats are unlikely to help Johnson with their support for a revamped funding bill, blaming him for breaking their bipartisan deal.

“If you break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow,” Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on Musk-owned X.

And others appeared to mock Republicans for appearing to follow the unelected Musk’s lead.

In the House of Representatives on Thursday, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democratic voter in the House, called the billionaire “President Musk,” drawing laughter from her fellow Democrats.

“President Musk said ‘don’t do it, shut down the government,'” he said.

Still, Johnson needs to find a way to win over Democrats in order to pass a spending bill, especially as pent-up anger within his own caucus is about to boil over.

Time is also of the essence. These negotiations usually take weeks.

Federal agencies depend on annual funds to function. When Congress fails to pass the 12 spending bills that make up the spending budget, these agencies must suspend non-essential functions.

Essential services such as border protection, hospital healthcare, law enforcement and air traffic control continue to operate.

But many federal employees may go without pay.

While Social Security and Medicare checks are being sent, benefit verification and card issuance stops. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding is mandatory, but food stamp benefits may be affected by a shutdown. This could cause delays in similar assistance programs.

Other agencies stop operations entirely.

The Food and Drug Administration stops food safety inspections, the Environmental Protection Agency stops inspections, and National Parks reach out to visitors.

This was the first big test of Trump’s influence over incumbent congressional Republicans, and in Thursday’s vote, several of them opposed it.

It also poses a challenge for President Johnson, as the House will vote in just 15 days on who will be Speaker of the House for the next Congress.

What once seemed like a secure position for Johnson now seems less secure.

Faced with the reaction of Trump and Musk, the Louisiana Republican is now under scrutiny from his own party for his handling of government funding.

Several Republicans have indicated they will not vote for Johnson to lead the House. He cannot afford to lose the support of many Republicans, given that the party has a slim majority of just five seats in the next Congress.

The threat to Johnson is serious, given the Republicans’ recent history.

In January 2023, California Republican Kevin McCarthy went through 15 rounds of voting before winning the presidency.

Just 10 months later, he was ousted by Republicans, who blamed him for failing to cut spending and working with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown.