ABC News - House votes to avert government shutdown, passing new funding bill
With a government shutdown looming, the House voted to prevent it, ensuring federal workers receive paychecks during the holidays. This decision came after two failed plans and significant pressure from Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Musk criticized the bipartisan bill as wasteful, while Trump demanded an unrelated provision to raise the debt ceiling. Speaker Mike Johnson's attempt to accommodate Trump failed, leading to a new plan that passed without the debt ceiling provision. Senate approval is expected soon, but the bill only funds the government until mid-March, leaving future negotiations necessary.
Key Points:
- House voted to prevent a government shutdown, ensuring federal workers are paid during holidays.
- Elon Musk and Donald Trump opposed the initial bipartisan bill, calling it wasteful and demanding debt ceiling provisions.
- Speaker Mike Johnson's attempt to include Trump's demands failed, leading to a new plan without those provisions.
- Senate approval is anticipated, but the bill only funds the government until mid-March, requiring further negotiations.
- Mitch McConnell warned Republicans against using government funding as a bargaining chip, citing political consequences.