House Republicans Fail to Pass Stopgap Spending Bill, Increasing Likelihood of Government Shutdown
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives failed to pass a Republican stopgap spending bill on Thursday, significantly increasing the probability of a partial government shutdown beginning Saturday at midnight. The 174-235 vote followed the release of a second stopgap spending bill by GOP leaders just three hours earlier. The first version, released two days prior, faced widespread rejection from President-elect Donald Trump and his allies both inside and outside of Congress. The vote breakdown showed 38 Republicans and 197 Democrats voting against the measure, with only two Democrats voting in favor and one voting “present.”
House Republicans attempted to pass the revised bill using a process known as “suspension of the rules,” requiring a two-thirds majority for passage. While President-elect Trump endorsed this version, which included a two-year suspension of the debt limit, it ultimately failed to garner enough support. Republican leaders may now attempt to pass the bill under a different process requiring only a simple majority, though this is not guaranteed to succeed.
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) argued during floor debate that the bill was crucial to prevent a shutdown and deliver disaster aid to affected states. He emphasized the ongoing need for disaster recovery, stating that it would take months, or even years, for affected communities to fully recover.
However, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, criticized Republicans for abandoning the bipartisan agreement reached on the initial stopgap package. She highlighted the inherent compromises necessary in government funding bills and noted that the final version lacked any Democratic input.
The White House also weighed in, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issuing a statement accusing Republicans of prioritizing billionaire interests over hardworking Americans. She criticized the bill for potentially offering tax breaks to billionaires while cutting essential programs that benefit working families.
The failed stopgap spending package would have funded the government until mid-March, included approximately $100 billion in increased disaster aid, suspended the debt limit until January 2027, and extended the deadline for completing the farm bill to September.
The Bill’s Contentious Journey
The second stopgap bill emerged from a tumultuous 48-hour period. The initial bill, released on Tuesday night, faced immediate opposition from Trump ally Elon Musk, prompting Trump to demand that the debt limit be addressed or removed entirely from the package.
While the Thursday afternoon version shared similarities with the Tuesday night version, it omitted numerous provisions, including one allowing the year-round sale of 15% ethanol blended gasoline. Significantly, it also lacked a provision preventing Congressional cost-of-living adjustments, meaning lawmakers would receive a 3.8% pay raise, increasing their annual salary from $174,000 to $180,600.
Rep. DeLauro further criticized the removal of provisions aimed at limiting the power of pharmaceutical companies and hindering the transfer of American intellectual property to China. The final 116-page bill was significantly shorter than the initial 1,547-page version.
The proposed legislation included detailed allocations for disaster relief, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Agriculture slated to receive the majority of funds. The allocation included $33.5 billion for the USDA, with $21 billion for disaster assistance and $10 billion for economic assistance to farmers. Other significant funding was allocated to the Department of Homeland Security ($30.8 billion, including $29 billion for FEMA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development ($12 billion), the Department of Transportation ($8 billion), the Forest Service ($6.4 billion), the National Park Service ($2.3 billion), the Defense Department ($3.4 billion), the Army Corps of Engineers ($1.5 billion), and the Small Business Administration ($2.25 billion).
Senate Republicans Threaten Filibuster
Prior to the House vote, Senators Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) threatened a talking filibuster to delay any stopgap spending bill that lacked substantial disaster aid. They, along with Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), held a press conference urging House GOP leaders to retain the approximately $100 billion in emergency disaster funding. They rejected calls for offsetting this spending, arguing that this isn’t standard practice for disaster aid. Senator Graham emphasized the realities of divided government and the continued need for Democratic support even with Republican control of Congress next year.
The potential consequences of a government shutdown were also addressed. Federal agencies would be required to implement shutdown procedures, affecting both excepted and non-excepted employees, neither of whom would receive pay during the shutdown. Everett Kelley, National President of the American Federation of Government Employees, issued a statement criticizing the potential impact on federal workers who perform critical functions.
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