House Republican leaders appear to be searching for a backup plan after an initial bipartisan deal to avoid a partial government shutdown on Friday was buried by an avalanche of conservative opposition.
The legislation infuriated conservatives in both the House and Senate, as well as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to co-chair his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk.
As Musk called on lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats, Trump’s presidential transition team issued a joint official statement from Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance opposing the initial version of the deal.
The bill was expected to be voted on sometime Wednesday afternoon, but a round of voting scheduled for the afternoon was canceled. Instead, senior Republicans are meeting in the president’s office to chart a path forward, less than 24 hours after the legislation was unveiled.
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Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told reporters as she left Johnson’s office early in the afternoon: “There will probably be a new CR tomorrow. They’re negotiating right now. But there won’t be a vote tonight.”
President Mike Johnson (left) and Elon Musk are at odds over a government spending bill. (Jean Catuffe/GC Images/Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told reporters shortly afterward that he anticipated a “thin” CR without disaster aid or farm subsidies.
It came after Republican critics of the spending bill spent much of the day attacking Johnson’s handling of the issue.
The 1,547-page bill is a short-term extension of fiscal 2024 government funding levels, intended to give lawmakers more time to agree on funding for the remainder of fiscal 2025 before Friday’s deadline. .
It is the second such extension, called a continuing resolution (CR), since fiscal year 2024 ended on September 30.
In addition to funding the government through March 14, the bill also includes more than $100 billion in disaster relief to help Americans affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. It also includes an additional $10 billion in economic aid for farmers, as well as health care reform measures and a provision aimed at revitalizing Washington, D.C.’s RFK Stadium and the surrounding campus.
Members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus said they were blindsided by what they saw as unrelated political clauses that were added to the bill in last-minute negotiations.
Several Republican lawmakers who were granted anonymity to speak freely said Johnson would see challenges to his presidential bid in early January over the matter.
But Johnson defended the deal on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday morning.
President-elect Trump is against the bill (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
“When we start the new Congress in January, when the Republicans are in control… we’re going to be able to reduce the size and scope of the government. But before we get to that point, remember right now, we only control half of a third of the federal government, remember, Democrats are still in charge of the Senate and the White House, so what we’ve done here is the conservative choice,” he said.
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Opponents of the legislation include Elon Musk, who posted on
He later called on Republicans to take advantage of a partial government shutdown: “‘Shutting down’ the government (which doesn’t actually shut down critical functions) is infinitely better than passing a horrible bill.”
Meanwhile, Trump and Vance called on Republicans to reject the deal and opt instead for a CR combined with an increase in the US debt limit, which was suspended until January 2025.
“Raising the debt ceiling is no big deal, but we would prefer to do it under Biden. If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration? Let’s have this debate now “And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and Democrats everything they want,” the statement said.
But simply bowing to his right flank may not get Johnson out of danger, and Democrats are warning him not to renege on his deal.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warns Johnson not to renege on his deal. (Getty Images)
“House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government and hurt the working-class Americans they claim to support. If you break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow,” the minority leader wrote. House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, RN.Y. UNKNOWN.
It was always likely that Johnson would need Democratic help to pass a CR, given his narrow margins in the House and widespread opposition to short-term funding extensions within the GOP.
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But it’s unclear whether the number of Democrats willing to break ranks will offset that Republican opposition.
House leaders will also have to decide whether to put the bill under regular order – which will include a House Rules Committee vote followed by a House-wide procedural vote before lawmakers can weigh in on the measure itself – or ignore that and rush the bill through. House of Representatives in exchange for raising the approval threshold to two-thirds instead of a simple majority.
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking until the deadline for the partial government shutdown at the end of Friday.
