Lawmakers are speaking out during a chaotic week on Capitol Hill as Congress scrambles to pass emergency legislation past the 11th hour to avert a government shutdown.
The White House announced that President Biden signed a 118-page bill on Saturday extending government funding through March. The bill would provide more than $100 billion in disaster relief to people affected by storms Helen and Milton in the southeastern United States earlier this year. The bill also includes $10 billion in economic support for farmers.
President Biden has yet to comment publicly on the bill’s passage, and neither has President-elect Trump, but sources told Fox that the bill does not suspend the debt ceiling, so the president-elect He said he was not very satisfied.
December 12, 2024 at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. It’s been a frenzied week of tough negotiations in the nation’s capital. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
President Biden signs interim funding bill, narrowly avoiding government shutdown
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), who faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats over his handling of the negotiations, said after the House vote that the outcome was “a good outcome for the country.” He said he has spoken with President Trump, and the president-elect is “certainly pleased with the outcome.”
Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York considered the bill a victory for his party.
Referring to President Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again,” Jeffries said, “House Democrats want to make sure that extreme MAGA Republicans are shutting down the government, collapsing the economy, and working-class Americans across the country.” We succeeded in preventing any damage from occurring.”
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) praised Democratic lawmakers, including Jeffries and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), for their “unity and courage to withstand Trump Musk’s irresponsibility.”
“Democrats will always fight to protect the needs of America’s working families, veterans, seniors, farmers, and first responders against the policies of billionaires and special interest Republicans.”
The massive 1,547-page continuing resolution was thrown into disarray earlier in the week after opposition from Elon Musk and President-elect Trump. A slimmed-down version was then rejected by House members on Thursday, after which the House approved Speaker Mike Johnson’s new bill by an overwhelming vote of 366 to 34 on Friday.
The Senate worked into the early hours of Saturday morning and passed the bill 85-11 shortly after the deadline.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, who faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats over his handling of the negotiations, said after the House vote that the outcome was “a good outcome for the country.” (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
White House pressures Biden over refusal to speak publicly ahead of shutdown
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the passage of the funding bill early Saturday morning.
“There will be no government shutdown right before Christmas,” Schumer wrote to X. “We will continue our work with bipartisan legislation that funds the government, helps Americans affected by hurricanes and natural disasters, supports farmers, and avoids harmful cuts.” ”
Meanwhile, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (RN.Y.) said the revised funding package would maintain government funding at current levels, provide aid to Americans suffering from natural disasters, and protect agricultural supply chains. said.
“This simple bill is not only much more palatable to me, but unlike the previous behind-the-scenes outrage that was over 1,500 pages long and gave unnecessary and expensive perks to Democrats, which I opposed. I respect the taxpayers they represent,” Malliotakis wrote to X.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer gives a thumbs up as he leaves the Senate chamber after speaking on the Senate floor on December 20, 2024. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
“Passing this bill today will give us what we need to get President Trump sworn in, entrenched, and the Republican trifecta delivering the results Americans voted for.”
Rep. Mike Lawler (RN.Y.) questioned why President Biden appears to be playing a limited role in negotiations.
“Despite all the focus on President Trump, people fail to realize that Joe Biden is actually still the president. This is really mind-boggling because what? I didn’t hear from him for a week,” Lawler said on Saturday’s Fox & Friends Weekend. The debt ceiling has been used as a “political tool for decades,” he said.
“The minority party is using that as bargaining leverage. I think what President Trump is trying to avoid is giving the Democrats a loaded gun here and holding them over their heads.”
Additionally, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) announced that the Senate had approved the DC Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act, which he introduced and helped pass in the House. praised.
The bill would give the District of Columbia control of the 174-acre RFK campus and revive potential plans for a new Washington Commanders stadium.
Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) praised the Senate for approving the D.C. Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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The surprising move comes after a provision in the original continuing resolution (CR) that would have transferred control of the RFK campus from the federal government to the school district was removed from Thursday’s slimmed down version of the bill.
“The Senate’s passage of the DC RFK Stadium Campus Revitalization Act is a historic moment for our nation’s capital. If Congress does not act today, taxpayers will be forced to pay billions to maintain this dilapidated property in Washington. It’s going to continue to cost a lot of money,” Comer said.
“Revitalising this RFK Memorial Stadium site is a top economic priority for our city, and I will work with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser to get this bill across the finish line and to the President’s desk. I am proud that we were able to do this. This bipartisan success is due to the House Oversight Committee’s unwavering efforts to protect taxpayers and ensure a prosperous capital city for residents and visitors for generations to come. “This is our full effort,” he added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
Send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow us on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
