A day before a potential government shutdown, the U.S. House of Representatives decisively voted down President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s proposed spending plan on Thursday, with Democrats and several Republicans opposing his sudden demands to fund operations and suspend the debt ceiling.<\/p>\n
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The hastily convened evening vote failed to reach the two-thirds threshold required for passage, delivering a significant setback to Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill was rejected by a 174-235 vote, leaving Congress scrambling to find a solution before Friday\u2019s midnight deadline.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to regroup and come up with another solution, so stay tuned,\u201d said Johnson, who faces mounting pressure to navigate the crisis.<\/p>\n
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The proposed plan, championed by Trump, included $100.4 billion in disaster relief and an extension of borrowing through January 2027 but failed to gain bipartisan support. Trump touted the proposal as a \u201cvery good deal\u201d on social media, but resistance from both parties led to its collapse.<\/p>\n
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Tensions Mount Over Trump\u2019s Demands<\/strong><\/p>\n The rejection highlights deep divisions in Washington, previewing the turbulence that could define Trump\u2019s return to the White House alongside a Republican-controlled Congress. During his first term, Trump led the country into its longest government shutdown in history over the Christmas season in 2018 and disrupted 2020 holiday plans by rejecting a bipartisan COVID-relief bill.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This time, Trump\u2019s demands to include a debt ceiling increase alongside the spending bill sparked backlash. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries dismissed the proposal as \u201claughable,\u201d and Democrats rallied against it, chanting, \u201cHell, no!\u201d during a closed-door caucus meeting.<\/p>\n Adding to the turmoil, billionaire Elon Musk, a close Trump ally, amplified opposition on his social media platform X, rallying conservatives against the plan. Musk\u2019s involvement drew ire from Democrats, with House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark accusing him of derailing bipartisan efforts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Republican Divisions Deepen<\/strong><\/p>\n Within the Republican Party, frustration boiled over. Rep. Chip Roy of Texas criticized his colleagues for caving to Trump\u2019s demands, accusing them of recklessly piling onto the nation\u2019s debt. \u201cIt\u2019s shameful!\u201d Roy thundered on the House floor.<\/p>\n The rejected package had stripped several bipartisan provisions, including pay raises for lawmakers and federal funds for infrastructure projects like Baltimore\u2019s Key Bridge. However, it retained funds to extend government operations through March 14.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Shutdown Looms<\/strong><\/p>\n As the clock ticks toward a government shutdown, federal agencies have begun preparing for the worst. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for a return to the original bipartisan agreement, while Johnson remained tight-lipped on the path forward, stating only, \u201cWe\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With the current debt ceiling set to expire on January 1, 2025, Trump has insisted on resolving the issue before his inauguration. His stance has left Johnson in a precarious position, with both his leadership and the nation\u2019s fiscal stability hanging in the balance.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A day before a potential government shutdown, the U.S. House of Representatives decisively voted down President-elect Donald Trump\u2019s proposed spending plan on Thursday, with Democrats and several Republicans opposing his sudden demands to fund operations and suspend the debt ceiling. The hastily convened evening vote failed to reach the two-thirds threshold required for passage,<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9880,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_1160854738579181570_1160854738579181570":"","facebook_3558452337540614_100649324928663":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,239],"tags":[285,266,341],"class_list":{"0":"post-9879","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politics","8":"category-usa-canada","9":"tag-amnewsworld","10":"tag-reporters","11":"tag-washington"},"yoast_head":"\n