Trump Throws Wrench in Bipartisan Spending Bill, Threatening Government Shutdown
With just days until a government shutdown, President-elect Donald Trump and his allies have launched a last-minute assault on a bipartisan spending bill, jeopardizing a deal designed to avert a crisis, Al Jazeera reports.
The current continuing resolution, set to expire Friday, would temporarily fund the government until March 14. However, a barrage of statements and social media posts from Trump and his inner circle has thrown the deal into disarray.
The 1,547-page bill includes a pay raise for Congress, $100 billion for disaster relief, and $10 billion in farm aid. Critics, including Trump advisor Vivek Ramaswamy, have denounced its size and scope, calling it bloated and filled with unrelated policy items. Ramaswamy, along with Elon Musk – whom Trump has tasked with working on a proposed Department of Government Efficiency – took to social media, urging the bill’s defeat. Musk called the situation “insane” and a betrayal of democratic principles.
Trump and his vice presidential pick, JD Vance, issued a joint statement condemning the bill as laden with “Democratic giveaways,” urging Republicans to “GET SMART and TOUGH” and calling the Democrats’ bluff on a potential shutdown. They framed their opposition as a necessary step to avoid further concessions.
“Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch,” the statement read.
This stance directly contradicts House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who defended the bipartisan compromise, highlighting the urgent need for disaster relief funding following a record hurricane season and arguing the temporary funding would allow Republicans to control the budget process when they take full control of Congress in January. Johnson, facing potential internal opposition, insisted the deal was a “conservative play call,” allowing for greater Republican influence next year.
Democrats have harshly criticized the Republican infighting, citing it as a harbinger of gridlock under a second Trump administration. Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) highlighted Musk’s influence as an example of oligarchy, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Republicans of prioritizing the wealthy over their constituents and warned them to own the consequences of their actions.
The potential consequences of a shutdown are severe. The last government shutdown, during Trump’s first term, lasted nearly 35 days, costing an estimated $8 billion in GDP. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees were furloughed, and government contracts went unpaid. The current impasse leaves non-essential government functions facing a shutdown at 12:01 AM ET on Saturday.
