Us Congress Negotiators Reach Deal Stopgap Funding Bill Lawmakers Say 2024 12 17
ReutersDEC 2024
Congress Reaches Tentative Deal to Prevent Government Shutdown
Above: US House Speaker Mike Johnson (2nd L) speaks alongside House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise (3rd L), House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R), and Rep. Blake Moore (L) on Dec. 17, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Image copyright: Alex Wong/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
The American people voted for a clear mandate to follow Trump's agenda, focusing on "draining the swamp" and fiscal discipline. The House has been working hard to align with this vision, yet the Democrat-led Senate is pushing a bloated spending bill that contradicts these priorities. Congress is just weeks away from officially carrying out the America First agenda, so it's time for these political games to end.
Democratic narrative
Republicans are the ones causing chaos in the budget bill process, as proven by their delaying of bipartisan judicial legislation until Trump's win, aiming to control future judicial appointments. As for Trump, he's quite literally planning to revive impoundment authority so he can block funds Congress has approved — undermining legislative authority and fostering a dictatorial approach to fiscal management. The new MAGA party is the problem, not the Democrats.