Washington Just hours after President-elect Donald Trump destroyed the first bipartisan accord, House Republicans on Thursday seemed to have hammered out a second spending deal to stave an impending government shutdown.
Republicans have reached a new agreement on government spending, House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters Thursday afternoon. However, he did not elaborate on the specifics of the agreement, which was a broad package that covered everything from government funding to prescription drug plan changes to facilitating the relocation of an NFL football stadium.
As he walked out of the Speaker’s office on Capitol Hill, Cole stated, “We have an agreement, and we expect to have a vote on Thursday.” He refused to give more information.
According to two people with knowledge of the negotiations, Democrats have not yet approved the renegotiated agreement and were not involved in it.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has viewed the agreement but has not yet approved it, according to a Democratic leadership source. Regarding the alleged arrangement, a Jeffries representative did not immediately respond.
Earlier Thursday, House Republican leaders and Speaker Mike Johnson were having difficulty coming up with a backup plan to keep the government running, which is scheduled to shut down after the calendar shifts to Saturday. Trump and billionaire Elon Musk mobilized conservatives to sabotage the initial bipartisan funding agreement.
Less than 36 hours before a deadline to fund the government or face widespread federal government shutdowns and worker furloughs, the new agreement was reached.
As they search for a way ahead that can meet Trump’s demands and garner enough support to pass the split Congress and be signed into law by President Joe Biden, House Republican leaders have left senators from both parties and their rank-and-file members in the dark.
Johnson and his administration have come under fire from Democratic leaders for breaking the terms of the last bipartisan agreement he approved.
According to some, it makes the Republican leadership in the House less credible in any upcoming talks.
When Trump criticized the bipartisan funding agreement Johnson had secured on Wednesday night, he unpredictably threw a wrench in the funding talks. And months before a deadline to avoid an economically disastrous default next year, he made a last-minute demand with less than two days left before a shutdown deadline: he threatened to take action against Republicans unless they included a clause to increase the debt ceiling.
Trump went one step farther on Thursday morning, telling NBC News that Congress must completely eliminate the debt ceiling. Trump stated in a phone interview that he will spearhead the push to remove the debt ceiling, which some Democrats have been calling for years.
The top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, who formerly chaired the committee, blasted Johnson and Republicans for breaking the bipartisan financing agreement that had been agreed upon only days prior.
She stated that, with President Musk’s exception, a good arrangement was in place and things were proceeding.
DeLauro responded, “It seems to me that the tech billionaire is making decisions for Republicans.”
(Trump claimed to be in agreement with the president-elect on the matter and told NBC News Thursday that Musk had only released a slew of remarks aimed at destroying the bipartisan agreement after speaking with him.)
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., stated his party remains committed to the bipartisan agreement struck with Johnson and the GOP to keep the government open through March 14 following a private conference with House Democrats.
However, Jeffries twice refused to rule out the prospect that Democrats may back a reduced package that only includes disaster help and a farm bill, while still funding the government, when NBC News asked him about it.
At his leadership news conference, Jeffries stated, “We are ready to proceed with the bipartisan agreement that we believe was negotiated in good faith with House Republicans along with Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans that meets the needs of the American people at this moment in time.”
Instead of fighting for millionaires and billionaires, we are fighting for regular Americans. We are standing up for common Americans who will suffer as a result of a careless Republican shutdown.
Jeffries went on to say that any discussion about raising or lowering the debt ceiling at this time is, at best, premature.
Additionally, in a telling indication, Jeffries stated that he is unsure of the Republican leader responsible for negotiating an agreement, describing it as a “great question.”
“At this time, I don’t have the answers,” he remarked.
Garcia claimed that given what Trump intends to do, many Democrats are unwilling to accede to his demands on the debt ceiling.
According to the congressman, Donald Trump wants to remove the debt ceiling in order to essentially enact massive tax cuts that will benefit his pals, Elon Musk and his businesses, and transfer the hard-earned riches that middle-class Americans have amassed. Therefore, we may talk about the debt ceiling individually.
Rep. Troy Nehls, a Republican from Texas, expressed sympathy for Johnson and argued that even the Lord Jesus would find it extremely challenging to oversee this meeting.
On MSNBC, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., who recently won reelection in a swing district, stated that Republicans require Democratic backing for a measure and that it is obvious that Donald Trump is in control.
This is a fairly straightforward reality. Lawler informed anchor Andrea Mitchell that we must engage in negotiations. I’ll remind everyone that our government is divided. Nonetheless, a bipartisan negotiation will be necessary because Democrats hold both the Senate and the White House.
The fact that the GOP would still require Democratic backing to reopen the government is left unsaid as Musk advocates for closing it until January 20, when Trump takes office and Republicans take control of Congress.
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