Dems Fume Over Latest GOP Spending Bill
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Govt. Shutdown Looms as House Rejects Trump-Backed Bill
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Above: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Dec. 19, 2024. Image copyright: Kevin Dietsch/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The Republican-majority US House on Thursday rejected a spending bill aimed at averting a government shutdown and backed by Pres.-elect Donald Trump. Federal funding is set to expire at midnight Friday.
The bill failed by a vote of 174-235, as 38 Republicans joined Democrats in opposition despite Trump's last-minute endorsement and pressure on lawmakers.
The Spin
Republican narrative
It's disappointing that 38 Republicans turned their back on a Trump-endorsed bill, but that's more of an indictment of Johnson's leadership. The real culprits for this bill's failure are Democrats who wouldn't vote to keep the government open and provide disaster relief because they couldn't also get their thousands of pages of expensive and ineffective programs.
Democratic narrative
This bill's collapse exposed divisions within the Republican Party, as they could pass it without Democratic help. But it also showed how Musk, an unelected billionaire, currently wields dangerous influence on American government operations. Together with Trump's demands, this is creating chaos and threatening essential services for millions of Americans during the holiday season.
