President-elect Donald Trump disrupted a bipartisan plan on Wednesday aimed at averting a pre-Christmas government shutdown. Trump urged House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican lawmakers to renegotiate the deal just days before federal funding is set to lapse.
The abrupt intervention threw Congress into disarray as lawmakers worked to finalize their year-end tasks. With government funding set to expire on Friday, Johnson faces the daunting task of crafting a new proposal to keep federal operations running.
Trump, alongside Senator J.D. Vance, released a statement urging Republicans to take a tougher stance. “Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH,” the statement read. Trump proposed a contentious plan that linked government funding to an increase in the debt ceiling—a move historically opposed by many in his own party.
“Anything else is a betrayal of our country,” Trump and Vance declared, sparking criticism from both sides of the aisle.
Democrats, who had been negotiating with Republican leadership, condemned the GOP’s inability to maintain the bipartisan agreement. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Republicans of jeopardizing the livelihoods of working-class Americans.
“House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government,” Jeffries said. “You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow.”
The proposed 1,500-page bill had already been under fire from conservative lawmakers, who balked at increased spending and additional provisions, including $100 billion in disaster aid for states recovering from hurricanes and other natural calamities.
Adding to the turmoil, billionaire Elon Musk, a Trump ally and head of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, voiced his opposition to the spending package. Musk took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to call for lawmakers who supported the bill to be ousted in the next election.
Johnson, like previous Republican House speakers, has struggled to unify his caucus. Hardline conservatives remain resistant to routine government funding measures, and many rank-and-file Republicans are waiting for clear directives from Trump.
“What does President Trump want Republicans to do: vote for the CR or shut down government? Absent direction, confusion reigns,” retiring Senator Mitt Romney posted on X.
The chaos underscores the challenges Republicans will face as they prepare to lead the House, Senate, and White House in the upcoming year. It also highlights the influence Trump continues to wield over the party’s legislative agenda.
With federal funding set to expire at midnight on Friday, the stopgap measure on the table would extend government operations at current levels until March 14, 2025. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer emphasized the urgency of the situation, saying, “The sooner Congress acts, the better.”
As Congress struggles to pass the stopgap funding measure, the dysfunction within the GOP raises concerns about its ability to govern effectively. Johnson’s reliance on Trump’s backing may prove pivotal in determining the party’s legislative success—or failure—in the months to come.
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