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Senators voted to pass a new version of the emergency spending bill early Saturday morning, past the midnight deadline for a partial government shutdown.
The Senate voted 85-11 to pass the third version of the short-term spending bill, sending it to President Biden’s desk, who has already indicated he intends to sign it.
The initial agreement on the short-term spending bill, released earlier this week, totals 1,547 pages and includes numerous policy provisions and disaster aid.
But soon after the bill was announced, billionaire Elon Musk and other conservative critics publicly denounced it, and ultimately President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect J.D.・This resulted in criticism by Mr. Vance.
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Congress passed a short-term spending bill just hours before the shutdown deadline. (Stephanie Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“Republicans have to get smarter and tougher. If Democrats threaten to shut down the government if we don’t give them everything they want, call their bluff. Schumer is the one talking about aid and disaster relief for our farmers. and Biden,” Trump and Vance said in a lengthy statement opposing the bill Wednesday afternoon.
The original spending measure would extend fiscal year 2024 government funding levels through March 14 and provide more than $100 billion in disaster relief to those affected by storms Helen and Milton in the southeastern United States earlier this year. Assistance was to be provided. The bill also included $10 billion in economic aid for farmers.
Meanwhile, as of Thursday, the US national debt was $36,167,604,149,955.61 and continues to increase rapidly.
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Elon Musk vocally opposed the first iteration of this bill. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post, Getty Images)
The size of the bill, along with other provisions such as raising the cost of living for members of Congress, prompted a public reaction from Musk and others.
“Any Representative or Senator who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out within two years!” he wrote to X.
After going back to square one, House Republicans laid out a new proposal Thursday. The proposed amendment would extend current funding levels by three months and suspend the debt ceiling for two years, as requested by President Trump.
It also provided economic relief to farmers and approximately $110 billion in disaster relief.
But the bill died in the House Thursday night after Democrats united in opposition and a sizable group of Republicans also chose to oppose it.
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Mr Musk’s opposition forced Mr Johnson to find a new stopgap bill. (Jean Katuch/GC Images/Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
“Old bill: $110BB in deficit spending (unpaid), $0 national credit card increase. New bill: $110BB in deficit spending (unpaid), over $4 trillion in debt ceiling increases, no structural reforms to reduce Read the bill: 1.5 hours, I vote no,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) wrote to X ahead of the vote.
Roy was one of 38 House Republicans who opposed the stopgap bill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (left) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (Reuters)
By Friday morning, there appeared to be no agreement between Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work together on a new bill. In fact, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) have announced that unless Republicans return to their original stopgap bill, the government will partially shut down in the middle of the night. He said he would enter.
“I’m prepared to stay here until Christmas because I’m not going to let Elon Musk run our government,” Murray said in a statement.
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Democrats were unsuccessful in their desire to return to the original bill. (Reuters)
Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor that the bill would pass the House if Speaker Mike Johnson brought it to the floor for a vote.
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The third bill that ultimately passed the House and Senate was similar to the bill that was rejected the night before. The bill included economic relief for farmers and disaster aid for those affected by recent storms. However, the final emergency bill did not include an end to the debt ceiling, which President Trump himself had called for.
The House passed the short-term spending bill with 366 votes, exceeding the required two-thirds majority.
Julia Johnson is a political writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, where she leads coverage of the U.S. Senate. She previously served as a political reporter for the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia’s reporting on X. @juliaajohnson_ Send your tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
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