
The US House of Representatives on Thursday rejected a temporary funding bill, which was proposed after Republican leaders abandoned an earlier bipartisan deal which had been criticized by President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk, Trump’s choice for co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency.
The measure failed with a vote of 174-235, far short of the two-thirds majority required for passage under a fast-track process. One Democrat voted present, according to NBC News.
With less than 30 hours remaining before the deadline, the rejection leaves Congress without a clear path to avert a government shutdown, significantly increasing the likelihood of a funding lapse just ahead of the holiday season.
The revised bill, crafted by House Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP leaders, carried Trump’s backing but quickly faced resistance from Democratic leaders, who were not consulted before its release.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries dismissed the proposal as “laughable” during a private meeting of House Democrats before the vote.
"The... proposal is not serious, it's laughable. Extreme MAGA Republicans are driving us to a government shutdown," Jeffries said before the vote, as quoted by AFP.
Earlier, Trump hailed the compromise, writing on social media, "SUCCESS in Washington! Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have come to a very good Deal for the American People."
The earlier bipartisan plan involved a stopgap measure, or "continuing resolution" (CR), to keep the government running until mid-March.
The new proposal included provisions to fund the government until mid-March, allow borrowing without additional Congressional authorization for two years, and allocate $110 billion for disaster aid. Trump praised these measures, touting them as a solution to avoid immediate fiscal crisis.