According to Reuters, the US House of Representatives voted 366 – 34 to pass the bill, one day after rejecting US President-elect Donald Trump’s request for a public debt ceiling. The 34 opposing votes all came from American Republicans. Although passed by the US House of Representatives, the bill needs to be considered again by the US Senate.
US House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to reporters at the Capitol on December 19, 2024
This bill will extend the US government’s budget until March 14, including $100 billion in aid to states hit by natural disasters and $10 billion for agriculture. However, the bill does not include raising the debt ceiling, a task that US President-elect Trump asked Republicans to tackle.
The bill also has a provision to postpone the public debt ceiling until January 2027, meaning that trillions of dollars will continue to be added to the current federal debt of up to $36,000 billion.
White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre praised the move to fund and avoid a government shutdown by Republicans in the US House of Representatives. “US President Joe Biden supports advancing this law and ensuring that the essential services the government provides to hard-working Americans,” according to CNN quoting Ms. Pierre.
Why do Republican congressmen oppose the budget bill even though Mr. Trump supports it?
US House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was in “constant contact” with President-elect Trump throughout the process of negotiating a new temporary spending bill to prevent a government shutdown. Mr. Johnson also noted that he spoke with billionaire Elon Musk – a notable figure in this budget battle, about the challenges of work.
If Congress fails to act before the deadline, government agencies will grind to a halt, and millions of federal workers will go without pay. According to Reuters, citing knowledgeable sources, the White House has warned government agencies to prepare for the impending shutdown. The last time the federal government shut down was for 35 days during Mr. Trump’s first term due to a dispute over border security.
