House Democrats are opposing the latest iteration of the spending plan released Thursday by Speaker Mike Johnson.
“The Musk-Johnson proposal is not bad, it’s ridiculous. MAGA Extreme Republicans are driving us toward a government shutdown,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., indicated that the Democratic leadership will pressure its members to vote “no” on the deal.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., complained that the final deal was blown up by opposition from conservatives, with input from DOGE leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
“Everybody agreed,” he said, “and then Elon Musk was blown up, which has become the fourth branch of government. And that’s just an intolerable way to go on.”
“Democrats will try to figure out how we can salvage the good in society that has just been taken away.”
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“The Musk-Johnson proposal is not bad, it’s ridiculous. MAGA Extreme Republicans are driving us toward a government shutdown,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. (Getty Images)
Chants of “hell no” could be heard inside the room where Democrats gathered after the bill’s text was released.
The new continuing resolution, or CR, would increase existing federal funding levels for three months and freeze the debt ceiling for two years, something President-elect Trump has sought.
It comes after the first 1,500-page CR drew opposition from the right, over policy and passenger subsidies.
House lawmakers can vote on the new bill as early as Thursday evening.
It’s not immediately clear whether the new deal will pass — Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who also led opposition to the original bill, also rejected the new deal.
“More debt. More government. Raising the Credit Card $4 trillion with ZERO spending restraint and cuts. HARD NO,” wrote Roy on X.
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With a debt of $36 trillion and a deficit of $1.8 trillion by 2024, some conservatives are against the CR, setting a deadline for getting money in March and keeping spending at 2024 levels, entirely.
Without conservative Republican votes, Johnson will need to lean on Democrats to help get spending legislation across the board.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., complained that the final deal was blown up by opposition from conservatives, with input from DOGE leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. (Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump praised the deal minutes after Fox News Digital reported its content.
The agreement also includes aid for farmers and an estimated $110 billion in disaster relief for Americans affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton.
It would also include some health care provisions excluding changes to the Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) system that some Republicans and Democrats have pushed for — but others strongly oppose.
Trump said of the deal, “Speaker Mike Johnson and the House have reached an agreement that is the best for the American people. The recently agreed-upon American Relief Act of 2024 will keep the Government open, support our great farmers and others, and provide relief to those hardest hit by devastating hurricanes.”
“All Republicans, even Democrats, must do what is best for our Country, and vote ‘YES’ on this Bill, TONIGHT!” he wrote.
Shortly after the Fox News Digital report, House leaders released the official text of the bill. It clocked in at about 116 pages, a far cry from their original 1,547 page rule.
House Democrats are opposing the latest iteration of the spending plan released Thursday by Speaker Mike Johnson.
It comes after conservatives led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy scrapped Speaker Mike Johnson’s first government plan on Wednesday, prompting fears of a partial government shutdown ahead of the holidays.
GOP activists were furious over what they saw as unrelated measures and policy riders being added to the bill at the last minute.
House Republicans began discussions on a “clean” bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR), but those were put on hold when Trump urged GOP lawmakers to combine the CR with a measure on the debt ceiling – which was expected to be controversial. the first half of next year.
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Musk and Ramaswamy they also made their voices heard in the fight, with Musk calling on any Republican who supports the deal to lose their House seats.
In addition to avoiding a partial government shutdown until March 14, the bill also included a provision to allow the renovation of RFK Stadium Washington, DC; permits to sell ethanol fuel throughout the year; and the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009 — both measures that did not make it into the latest deal.
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