House Rejects GOP Plan Backed by Trump as Government Barrels Toward Shutdown

House Republicans’ slimmed-down plan to try to avert a government shutdown was defeated in a hastily called vote Thursday, as several dozen GOP lawmakers joined with Democrats in rejecting the proposal endorsed by President-elect Donald Trump.

The revised legislation proposed extending government funding for three months and providing more than $100 billion in disaster relief and aid for farmers, while stripping out a series of other provisions, such as restrictions on investments in China, 9/11 healthcare funds and new rules on pharmacy-benefit managers. It also proposed suspending the nation’s borrowing limit for two years.

It had 174 votes in favor and 235 against, with one member voting present, well short of the two-thirds supermajority required under special fast-track procedures. Crucially, it also was shy of a simple majority of the GOP-controlled chamber, dimming its chances of being brought to the floor again. 

If no bill is passed and signed into law by President Biden by 12:01 a.m. Saturday, the federal government would partially shut down, furloughing hundreds of thousands of federal workers, though critical services would continue to function.

The vote came a day after Trump killed a bipartisan deal backed by Johnson and other congressional leaders that had drawn widespread criticism from rank-and-file GOP lawmakers. The new legislation came in at 116 pages, down from the 1,547 pages in the original bill. As with the initial proposal, the bill would extend government funding until March 14. 

Talk circulated among lawmakers about a possible weeklong funding extension, which would push the shutdown deadline past Christmas. But that too would need bipartisan support to get through the Senate.

Trump had told Republicans that he wanted a stopgap bill that included disaster relief and aid for farmers. He also wanted the bill to raise or eliminate the nation’s debt ceiling, which must be adjusted regularly to allow the U.S. to continue paying its creditors and avoid default.

He demanded Republicans drop what he called “bells and whistles,” a reference to a slew of unrelated provisions in the original bill. He also threatened that any Republican who opposed a debt-ceiling adjustment would face a primary challenge in the next election. 

The GOP setbacks raised doubts about the future for Johnson, who until this week had been seen as a shoo-in to be elected speaker when the new House votes on Jan. 3. Now, several GOP lawmakers are indicating they would oppose him, given his handling of the stopgap bill. 

Trump said he continued to back Johnson in the role. In an interview with Fox News Digital, he said that Johnson would “easily remain speaker” if he “acts decisively and tough” to eliminate “all of the traps being set by Democrats.”

Republicans have struggled for the past two years to pass major funding bills, with party leaders heavily dependent on Democratic votes. The GOP majority in the House currently stands at 219 to 211. In the wake of the November election, the Republicans will likely have a 219-215 margin on the first day of the new Congress.

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