Trump-backed spending bill fails in House as government shutdown looms

A Trump-backed spending bill aimed at avoiding a government shutdown has failed to pass the House of Representatives, with nearly 40 Republican lawmakers voting against it.

The House voted 235-174 to reject the bill, with 38 Republicans joining all but two Democrats in opposition. This follows the earlier failure of a bipartisan bill supported by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, which faced opposition from Trump and his aides, including Elon Musk.

The failed bill sought to suspend the debt ceiling for two years, until January 2027—a measure Trump insisted on including. The bill also introduced new provisions for hurricane relief.

“The newly agreed to American Relief Act of 2024 will keep the Government open,” Trump stated in a Truth Social post before the vote. “A VERY important piece, VITAL to the America First Agenda, was added as well – The date of the very unnecessary Debt Ceiling will be pushed out two years, to January 30, 2027.”

Elon Musk played a significant role in opposing the bipartisan bill, posting over 150 times on his X account since Wednesday, according to The New York Times (NYT). Musk also threatened political consequences for lawmakers supporting the bipartisan measure. House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly called Musk on Wednesday, asking him to stop posting about the bill.

According to NYT, Musk shared misinformation about the bipartisan bill, falsely claiming it included new aid for Ukraine and $3 billion in funding for a new stadium in Washington.

Reacting to the news of the failed Trump-backed bill, Musk posted on X, saying, “Shame on Rep. Jeffries (D) for rejecting a fair & simple spending bill that is desperately needed by states suffering from hurricane damage!”

The next steps remain uncertain as a partial government shutdown looms if no bill is passed by midnight on Friday. In the event of a shutdown, Medicare applications could halt, hundreds of thousands of federal employees may face furloughs, and reduced staffing for air traffic controllers and TSA agents could result in travel delays during the holiday season, according to Forbes.