Republican Shutdown Looms: Dems Firmly Reject Trump’s Spending Bill

As the threat of a government shutdown intensifies, Democrats voiced their opposition on Thursday to a Republican spending bill that failed to pass at year’s end. Pramila Jayapal, Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, cautioned that the bill would give President-elect Donald Trump’s “unelected billionaire pals the reins of government, to their benefit and at the expense of the working class.”

Congress has until Friday night to pass a continuing resolution to prevent a federal government shutdown. After President Trump derailed a long-discussed measure, House Republicans on Thursday agreed to a temporary solution to fund the government for the next three months and to suspend the debt ceiling until 2027. This stopgap measure also included roughly $110 billion for disaster relief, a significant concession to the Democrats.

However, the bill faced rejection in the House late Thursday. It failed with a vote of 174-235, with 38 Republicans and only two Democrats supporting the measure.

Following a botched earlier spending plan by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.)—a plan disrupted by Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, whom the president-elect has selected to help lead a new Department of Government Efficiency—on Wednesday. According to Politico, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) described Thursday’s Republican proposal as “laughable” during an afternoon press briefing.

“Extreme MAGA Republicans are pushing us towards a government shutdown,” Jeffries stated, later telling Democratic Caucus members, “I’m not just a no, I’m a hell no,” in response to the GOP’s plan.

Protesting proposed reductions in child healthcare funding within the bill—specifically the removal of $190 million intended for pediatric cancer research—Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) argued on social media Thursday that the GOP is “sacrificing children’s healthcare because Elon profits from defense contracts, so military spending remains untouched.”

On Wednesday, the Senate approved an $895 billion military spending bill, which now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) targeted Musk in a Thursday social media post, asserting that the world’s wealthiest individual “is trying to dictate government policy by threatening to remove elected officials if they don’t agree to shut down the government over the holiday season.”

“Are we still a democracy, or have we shifted towards oligarchy and authoritarianism?” Sanders questioned.

Jayapal (D-Wash.) stated on Thursday that “any shutdown is a 100% Republican shutdown, and its impact on working families will be severe.”

Jayapal continued:

Shadow President Elon Musk and President-elect Donald Trump are billionaires out of touch with everyday concerns like rent, medication costs, or the impact of a Federal Aviation Administration shutdown on holiday family visits. Nevertheless, they are spearheading a Republican march into chaos, mere hours after Democrats and Republicans had agreed on a bipartisan deal to keep the government running, which included crucial support for disaster-stricken communities, bankrupt farmers, and providing childcare and Social Security payments to children and seniors nationwide.

“Averting this deal means a devastating holiday shutdown, risking unpaid essential workers, evictions, travel chaos during the peak season, and disruptions to Social Security or Medicare services,” Jayapal declared.

“The Progressive Caucus, along with Leader Jeffries and our entire Democratic Caucus, demands the passage of the negotiated deal to fund the government and ensure the protection of communities nationwide,” she concluded. “We must not yield to a government of billionaires, by billionaires.”