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Trump and Vance Urge Republicans to Reject Bipartisan Funding Deal
In a significant development, President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance encouraged Republican members of Congress to reject a bipartisan agreement designed to prevent a government shutdown that is looming this weekend. They advocate for negotiations on an alternative deal instead.
Vance expressed on X that Republicans should not concede to Democrats in any stopgap funding legislation and advocated for incorporating a measure to increase the nation’s borrowing capacity. This statement followed the unveiling of a continuing resolution text by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., which emerged after intense negotiations with Democratic leaders. The proposed measure aimed to ensure agency funding at existing levels until March 14, allocate $100 billion in disaster relief, provide $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers, and address various other policy issues.
However, numerous Republican legislators, spanning a range of ideological beliefs, voiced their discontent with the bill. They argued it contained too many unrelated provisions, was hastily put together by a select group of leaders, and would facilitate a pay raise for Congress members—the first since 2009. The statements from Trump and Vance seemed to jeopardize the bill’s chances for passage.
“We should pursue a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give in to Chuck Schumer and the Democrats,” Vance remarked in a statement attributed to both him and Trump. “It’s time for Republicans to be smart and resilient. If Democrats threaten a government shutdown unless we capitulate to their demands, we should call their bluff.”
Following this announcement, House leaders indicated that no further votes would take place on Wednesday, but a potential vote on the spending bill could occur Thursday. Earlier, Elon Musk, a prominent tech entrepreneur and a key ally of Trump, also urged Republicans to oppose the continuing resolution, suggesting it would require substantial Democratic votes for successful passage in both chambers of Congress.
Trump has since called on Republicans to include a debt ceiling increase in their government funding strategy. Last year, President Joe Biden enacted a measure that suspended the borrowing limit until January 1, 2025, although the Treasury Department is expected to take actions that could postpone the actual deadline by several months.
In their joint statement, Trump and Vance criticized the notion of allowing the debt ceiling to reach its deadline in 2025, emphasizing that the resolution should occur “on Biden’s watch.” With a government shutdown threatening as early as Friday evening, lawmakers are under significant time pressure to develop an acceptable agreement.
Reports indicate that Johnson is contemplating a “clean” continuing resolution that would temporarily keep government agencies operational while delaying definitive decisions regarding other components of the current package.
Musk further suggested that Congress should refrain from passing any legislation before Trump assumes office on January 20 and indicated support for a government shutdown during the interim period. He commented, “‘Shutting down’ the government (which doesn’t actually close down essential functions, by the way) is far preferable to endorsing a disastrous bill.”
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