US Govt Partial Shutdown Imminent? President Elect Donald Trump-Backed Spending Deal Fails In House

(MENAFN- Live Mint) US Government: A Republican spending bill backed by President-elect Donald trump failed in the US House of Representatives on Thursday, leaving congress with no clear plan to avert a fast-approaching government shutdown that could disrupt Christmas travel.

By a vote of 174-235, the House rejected the spending package, which was hastily assembled by Republican leaders after Trump and billionaire Elon Musk scuttled a prior bipartisan deal. Despite Trump's support, 38 Republicans voted against the package along with all but three Democrats.

Government funding is due to expire at midnight on Friday.

If lawmakers fail to extend that deadline, the US government will begin a partial shutdown that would interrupt funding for everything from border enforcement to national parks and cut off paychecks for more than 2 million federal workers.

The US Transportation Security Administration warned that travelers during the busy holiday season could face long lines at airports.

The bill largely resembled the earlier version that Musk and Trump had blasted as a wasteful giveaway to Democrats. It would have extended government funding into March, when Trump will be in the White House and Republicans will control both chambers of Congress, and provided $100 billion in disaster relief and suspended the debt.

Republicans dropped other elements that had been included in the original package, such as a pay raise for lawmakers and new rules for pharmacy benefit managers.

In a hastily convened evening vote punctuated by angry outbursts over the self-made crisis, the lawmakers failed to reach the two-thirds threshold needed for passage - but House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared determined to regroup, before Friday's midnight deadline.

MENAFN19122024007365015876ID1109014656