House Republicans on Thursday failed to secure the majority of votes needed on a spending bill to avert a government shutdown by the end of the week, in an early test of President-elect Trump’s ability to unite Republicans in the chamber. I suffered a defeat.
The bill failed by a vote of 235-174, with 38 Republicans voting against it.
The bill not only fails in a way that would allow lawmakers to quickly introduce legislation with a two-thirds majority. It also failed to pass the standard threshold of 218 “yes” votes.
Trump-backed spending bill aimed at averting government shutdown fails in House of Representatives
Among the 38 Republicans who voted against the bill was Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who vehemently opposed the funding bill in a speech on the House floor.
Mr. Roy spent much of the day Thursday sparring with Mr. Trump over Mr. Roy’s opposition to the deal, which could add $5 trillion to the national debt and threaten Republican finances. He pointed out that this goes against the idea of responsibility.
Roy said the Republican lawmakers who voted to approve the bill “lack self-respect.”
Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) speaks with reporters as he walks near the House chamber. (Tassos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Roy, who also opposed the first spending bill, said he was “absolutely fed up with a party that has the audacity to advocate fiscal responsibility and say to the American people that we think this is fiscal responsibility.” Ta. “That’s completely strange.”
Still, the number of Republicans who were unable to attend on Thursday evening suggests an even bigger challenge ahead for Mr. Trump, who has been trying to bend the House Republican majority, including Speaker Mike Johnson, to his political will and pass new legislation. It may indicate what is waiting for you. Raising the debt ceiling.
The bill sparked opposition from Democrats and fiscal conservatives in the Republican Party, who opposed the idea more broadly.
President-elect Trump, Tesla, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Donald Trump Jr. attend UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 16. (Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images)
With a debt of $36 trillion and a budget deficit of $1.8 trillion in 2024, some conservatives are calling for a resolution that would push funding deadlines until March and keep spending at 2024 levels. opposed to continuation. The deal promoted by Mr. Trump included a two-year suspension of the debt ceiling, sparking further opposition among some Republicans.
‘Outrageous’: House Democrats break out over Republican spending deal
The disagreement put pressure on Democrats, who had widely signaled they would oppose the bill Thursday. Minority leaders slammed Trump and Elon Musk for interfering in the process and undermining an initial spending deal that was expected to pass Wednesday night with bipartisan support. I spent most of the day blaming.
Ahead of Thursday’s vote on the new bill, Democrats led a “definitely no” chant, sending a clear signal of dissatisfaction with the way the new spending bill was tightened.
President-elect Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) are fighting to prevent a government shutdown. (Getty Images)
After the bill’s defeat, Johnson quickly began convening with a group of House Republicans who had voted against the bill in an effort to drum up support for a second vote on Friday.
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“It’s very disappointing that all but two Democrats voted against support for farmers and ranchers, disaster relief, all the bipartisan policies that had already been negotiated and finalized,” Johnson said after the vote. ” he said. “Again, the only difference in this bill is that it extends the debt ceiling through January 2027.
“Remember, it was just last spring that these same Democrats were slamming Republicans and saying it was irresponsible to hold the debt ceiling hostage.”
Brianne Depiche is a political reporter for FOX News Digital, covering the 2024 election and other national news.
