Trump seeks to spike stopgap funding bill, sending Congress into chaos days before shutdown

Trump seeks to spike stopgap funding bill, sending Congress into chaos days before shutdown
President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance advised congressional Republicans to oppose a bipartisan deal they just brokered to avert a government shutdown this weekend, saying they should negotiate a new deal instead. 

Republicans should not allow any concessions to Democrats as part of a stopgap funding bill, Vance posted on X Wednesday afternoon, and instead include a provision to raise the nation’s borrowing limit. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had just released the text of the continuing resolution 24 hours prior after tense negotiations with Democrats. The measure was set to keep agencies funded at their current levels through March 14, provide $100 billion in disaster relief, offer $10 billion in economic assistance to farmers and address a myriad of additional policy provisions. 



Many Republican lawmakers across the ideological spectrum objected to the bill, saying the package included too many extraneous provisions, was rushed at the last minute by a small group in leadership and would allow a pay increase for members of Congress for the first time since 2009. Trump and Vance appeared to put the death knell on the measure on Wednesday. 



“We should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want,” Vance said in a statement attributed to him and Trump. “Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH. If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF.” 



House leaders announced after the statement there would be no further votes Wednesday but there could be a vote on a spending measure Thursday. 



Earlier in the day, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk—a Trump confidante and leader of his government efficiency commission—said no Republican should back the CR. The measure w ..

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