the House of Representatives rejected a revamped spending bill intended to avert a looming federal government shutdown. The legislation, introduced as a compromise between the GOP-led House and the Democrat-controlled Senate, failed to secure the two-thirds majority required under suspension of the rules, garnering 172 Republican votes and 38 dissenters alongside a near-unanimous Democratic opposition.
The bill, initially presented as a 1,547-page measure, was trimmed to a concise 116 pages in response to Republican criticism. Key features of the legislation include a three-month continuing resolution (CR), a two-year suspension of the debt ceiling until January 2027, $110 billion for disaster relief, and a clean farm bill package. Provisions for healthcare extenders also made it into the package, but pharmacy benefit manager reform and ethanol industry measures were notably absent.
Opposition to the bill within the Republican Party centered on the extended debt ceiling suspension, a provision that many viewed as fiscally irresponsible. Critics labeled the bill a “cramnibus” and argued that it failed to deliver the significant spending cuts promised to voters. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) defended the legislation, stating, “Even though this vote would push the debt limit to 2027, it in no way reflects any lack of enthusiasm on our part to get about those serious cuts for the American people.”
President-elect Donald Trump endorsed the revised legislation, framing it as a critical step toward his vision of restoring national prosperity. “Now we can Make America Great Again, very quickly, which is what the People gave us a mandate to accomplish,” he stated, urging lawmakers to support the measure. Elon Musk, recently appointed to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency, echoed Trump’s sentiments, expressing disapproval of the original version but signaling cautious optimism about the revisions.
Despite these endorsements, the bill faced a heated debate on the House floor, with some lawmakers expressing frustration over weeks of negotiations that yielded what they saw as an inadequate solution. Critics from both parties highlighted omitted provisions, including a pay raise for lawmakers and jurisdictional changes for Washington, D.C.’s RFK stadium site, as evidence of partisan gridlock.
Democrats were quick to denounce the failed vote, accusing Republicans of prioritizing special interests over the needs of ordinary Americans. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated, “Republicans are doing the bidding of their billionaire benefactors at the expense of hardworking Americans.” Meanwhile, Republicans who supported the bill underscored its necessity for maintaining government operations and averting a shutdown.
