A Trump-backed bill to run the US government failed to pass

The US House of Representatives has 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, with 38 Republicans voting against the bill Thursday night, defying the president-elect.

Trump scuttled an earlier cross-party funding deal that Republican House leadership struck with Democrats after the move came under fire from tech billionaire Elon Musk.

After the bill failed by a vote of 174 to 235, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would come up with another solution before government funding runs out at midnight Friday.

An alternative bill approved by Trump would have tied government funding to a two-year suspension of the federal debt ceiling, which determines how much the government can borrow to pay its bills.

Republicans objected because they opposed increasing government spending, while Democrats voted against it because they said the extra debt would be used to pay for tax cuts to the wealthy.

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

The government shutdown can now be traced back to September, when another budget deadline passed.

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

Instead, Congress came to a bipartisan deal for a bare-bones bill that would keep the government funded until Dec. 20.

Johnson promised at his Republican convention that then in December, when the funding was set to expire, he wouldn’t have to vote on everything before the holiday break.

But when congressional leaders released the text of the latest spending bill on Tuesday, three days before lawmakers adjourned for the holidays, it totaled 1,547 pages.

The bill would extend government funding through March 14 — nearly three months after Trump returns to the White House.

This includes more than $110bn (£88bn) in emergency disaster relief and $30bn in aid to farmers. First pay raise for lawmakers since 2009; federal funds to rebuild a collapsed bridge in Baltimore; health care reform; and, provisions aimed at preventing hotels and live event venues from engaging in deceptive advertising.

Some Republicans criticized Johnson for abandoning a more basic spending bill, particularly the left-leaning provisions that had been negotiated to gain support from Democrats.

Johnson defended the agreement, blaming “acts of God” for requiring some additional provisions, such as disaster relief and aid to farmers.

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

Musk, whom Trump has tasked with identifying spending cuts while co-leading the Department of Government Efficiency (which is No official government department.) lobbied hard against the existing agreement. With dozens of posts on X.

They called it “criminal” and often cited misrepresentations about the bill in their posts.

Musk wrote on X that any lawmaker “who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves a vote in 2 years”.

After Musk opposed the spending bill, Trump and J.D. Vance, the incoming vice president, dealt the final blow to Johnson’s deal that evening.

They said in a joint statement that they want to pass the legislation without the Democratic-backed provisions that Johnson added.

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 funding legislation for temporary expenses and disasters. can be limited to deliverance from

He called anything else “treason to our country”.

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

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

But it is clear that the partisan blame game is in full swing. After killing the bill Thursday, Johnson told reporters it was “very disappointing” that nearly every House Democrat had voted against it.

“I think it’s really irresponsible for us to risk a shutdown on things that they’ve already agreed on,” he said.

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

But Democrats are unlikely to help support an improved funding bill, blaming Johnson for breaking his bipartisan agreement.

“You break a bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences, which Musk owns,” Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on X.

And others appeared to taunt Republicans for appearing to take their cue from the unelected Mr. Musk.

On the House floor Thursday, Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro — the top Democratic appropriator in the House — called the billionaire “President Musk” to laughter from 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 to pass the spending bill, especially as anger simmers within his own caucus.

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

Federal agencies rely on annual funding to operate. When Congress fails to pass the 12 spending bills that make up the spending budget, those agencies must shut down non-essential operations.

Essential services — such as border security, hospital medical care, law enforcement and air traffic control — continue to operate.

But many federal employees may go unpaid.

While Social Security and Medicare checks are mailed, benefit verification and card issuance stops. Funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is essential, but food stamp benefits may be affected by the shutdown. This may lead to delays in similar aid programs.

Other agencies shut down altogether.

The Food and Drug Administration stops food safety inspections, the Environmental Protection Agency stops inspections and national parks close to visitors.

It was the first major test of Trump’s influence over incumbent congressional Republicans, and in Thursday’s vote, many of them failed.

It’s also a challenge for Speaker Johnson, as the House is scheduled to vote in just 15 days on who will serve as Speaker of the House for the next Congress.

What once looked like a safe position for Johnson is now looking less than a sure thing.

Facing backlash from Trump and Mr. Musk, the Louisiana Republican is now under scrutiny from people in his own party over his handling of government funding.

Several Republicans have indicated they will not vote for Johnson to lead the chamber. He cannot afford to lose the support of many Republicans, given that the party only holds a slim five-seat majority in the next Congress.

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

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

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