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Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has called out the influence of Tesla CEO Elon Musk on the potential government shutdown as House Republicans and Democrats clash over a short-term spending bill. The deadline to fund the government is Friday night.
Disagreements over spending levels and policy riders have stalled negotiations. Musk strongly opposed the original spending deal that Johnson negotiated with Democrats, warning that he would support a primary challenge against any Republican who voted in favor of it, according to a FOX News report. House Speaker Mike Johnson released a revised continuing resolution (CR) Thursday evening, aiming to extend funding until March and suspend the debt limit for two years. However, the proposal quickly faced opposition from both parties.
Hillary Clinton criticised Musk’s influence on the negotiations, stating on X, “If you’re just catching up: the Republican Party, taking orders from the world’s richest man, is on course to shut down the government over the holidays, stopping paychecks for our troops and nutrition benefits for low-income families just in time for Christmas.”
Minority leader calls proposal ‘laughable’
House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries rejected the revised proposal, calling it “laughable.” “The Musk-Johnson proposal is not serious, it’s laughable. Extreme MAGA Republicans are driving us to a government shutdown,” Jeffries said, as quoted by FOX News.
Has Musk become the fourth branch of government?
Representative Jamie Raskin also criticised the involvement of Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in the spending debate. “Everybody agreed,” Raskin said, “and then it was blown up by Elon Musk, who apparently has become the fourth branch of government. And that’s just an intolerable way of proceeding.” “Democrats are going to try to figure out how we can salvage the public good as the wreckage that’s just been pushed,” he added, as quoted by FOX News.
House of Representatives rejects spending bill
The US House of Representatives rejected the Republican-led spending bill on Thursday, increasing the likelihood of a government shutdown. The vote was 174-235 against the measure, which needed to pass to temporarily fund the government and suspend the debt ceiling. The deadline to avoid a shutdown is midnight on Friday.
The bill’s failure puts over two million federal workers at risk of a pay freeze and threatens to disrupt government operations. Potential impacts include closures of national parks and delays at airports. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) warned of possible longer wait times for holiday travelers.
Republican lawmakers were divided on the bill, with 38 voting against it. Almost all Democrats opposed the measure. The bill had the support of Trump and Elon Musk. Lawmakers are now working to find a solution before the Friday deadline.
Democrats oppose, Republicans divided
Before the vote, both Republican and Democratic leaders blamed the other party for a potential shutdown. Democrats signaled their intent to oppose the bill. Representative Richard Neal indicated Democratic leadership would urge members to vote against it. House Speaker Mike Johnson argued the bill was necessary. “Government is too big, it does too many things, and it does few things well,” Johnson remarked.
Democrats criticised the bill, claiming it favored the wealthy while ignoring key spending needs. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries labeled it “a cover for a budget-busting tax cut” benefiting the rich and worsening national debt. “How dare you lecture America about fiscal responsibility?” he said during the floor debate.
After the bill’s text was released, chants of “hell no” echoed throughout the room where Democrats were meeting.
Republican Representative Chip Roy also expressed his discontent. “I am absolutely sickened by the party that campaigns on fiscal responsibility,” he said.
“More debt. More government. Increasing the Credit Card $4 trillion with ZERO spending restraint and cuts. HARD NO,” Roy said on X.
Even if the House had approved the bill, its passage in the Democrat-controlled Senate was uncertain. The White House confirmed President Joe Biden‘s opposition, further hindering a resolution.
What’s next
A House vote on the new bill is expected. The outcome remains uncertain. If no agreement is reached, a partial government shutdown will begin Saturday.
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