(Democrats joined 38 RINOs and hardline fiscal conservatives in the House of Representatives to pave the way for a potential government shutdown over the holidays that could snarl air travel and postal deliveries, among other things.
With 174 yeas and 235 nays, opposition from both Democrats and Republicans tanked the 116-page American Relief Act, 2025 late Thursday.
The continuing resolution bill needed a two-thirds majority to fund the government through the next fiscal quarter.
“The Democrats voted to shut down the government, rejecting a clean CR to deny the president negotiating leverage in his new term,” said Vice President-elect JD Vance, who had worked late into the night on Tuesday helping Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Republicans hammer out the agreement—even bringing along his young son in pajamas.
“They’d rather shut it down to fight for global censorship bulls**t,” Vance added. “They’ve asked for a shutdown, and that’s exactly what they’re going to get.”
🚨🇺🇸 JD VANCE: DEMOCRATS ASKED FOR A SHUTDOWN—NOW THEY’LL GET IT
"The Democrats voted to shut down the government, rejecting a clean CR to deny the president negotiating leverage in his new term.
They’d rather shut it down to fight for global censorship bullshit.
They’ve asked… https://t.co/YzF1hWXrLc pic.twitter.com/Iz9UbJv1Cf
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 20, 2024
The Trump-endorsed measure would have funded the government through March, allocated roughly $100 billion in disaster relief, extended the farm bill for a year, and suspended the debt ceiling until January 2027.
The bill also dropped key concessions Johnson’s original stopgap bill made to Democrats, including a new football stadium in Washington, D.C., a reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, a substantial pay raise for members of Congress and other last-minute pork-barrel spending on political pet projects.
This is infuriating. pic.twitter.com/yH5CCl8iCH
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) December 19, 2024
As expected, Democrats revolted over the axing of their previously negotiated priorities.
“We reached a bipartisan agreement that will help farmers, families, the future of working-class Americans, children, seniors, veterans, and the men and women in uniform all across the nation and the world,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters. “That bipartisan agreement has now been detonated.”
A substantial number of Republicans also opposed the stopgap because of the debt suspension, even though most of the wasteful spending had been eliminated.
“My position is simple – I am not going to raise or suspend the debt ceiling (racking up more debt) without significant & real spending cuts attached to it,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, posted on X four hours before the bill reached the floor. “I’ve been negotiating to that end. No apologies.”
My position is simple – I am not going to raise or suspend the debt ceiling (racking up more debt) without significant & real spending cuts attached to it. I’ve been negotiating to that end. No apologies. CC: @realDonaldTrump @SpeakerJohnson @SenJohnThune @freedomcaucus
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) December 19, 2024
Trump supported the up-front raising of the debt ceiling in order to avoid ongoing legislative gridlock as he works to enact an ambitious agenda that includes the mass deportation of illegal immigrants admitted under the Biden administration’s open-border policies.
Congress has until Friday at midnight to reach a deal before the government shuts down.
Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.
