Dems Fume Over Latest GOP Spending Bill
TownhallDEC 2024
Govt. Shutdown Looms as House Rejects Trump-Backed Bill
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 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.