A spending bill endorsed by Donald Trump failed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, heightening the risk of a government shutdown before Christmas. The measure was rejected 174-235, with 38 Republicans breaking ranks, exposing rifts in Trump’s party as he prepares to assume office.
The bill aimed to fund the government until March, provide $100 billion in disaster relief, and suspend the debt ceiling for two years to facilitate Trump’s proposed tax cuts. However, critics, including Representative Chip Roy, lambasted it as fiscally irresponsible. “I am sickened by a party that campaigns on fiscal responsibility,” Roy said.
Trump and billionaire Elon Musk opposed an earlier bipartisan deal, prompting Republican leaders to draft this version, which dropped provisions like lawmaker pay raises but retained debt ceiling changes. Despite this, GOP hardliners refused to back it.
Democrats slammed the bill as a giveaway to the wealthy, with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries accusing Republicans of hypocrisy. The White House indicated President Joe Biden opposed the measure, further dimming its prospects in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
With government funding set to expire Friday at midnight, a partial shutdown could disrupt border enforcement, national parks, and holiday travel, leaving over 2 million federal workers without pay.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, already facing intraparty dissent, vowed to find a solution. However, several Republicans indicated they might oppose him as speaker next year, threatening further instability ahead of Trump’s return to office.
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