A new budget bill proposed by Republicans has failed to pass the House of Representatives, putting the US government at risk of a shutdown.
With 174 votes in favor and 235 votes against, the US House of Representatives on December 19 rejected the new budget bill proposed by the Republican Party, after President-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk pressured to block the previous bipartisan bill.
Despite Mr Trump’s vocal support, 38 Republicans joined most Democrats in opposing the new bill.
The government budget is set to expire at midnight on December 20. If US lawmakers cannot find a way to reverse the situation, the government will begin a partial shutdown from 0:01 on December 21, disrupting the provision of budget for border protection, the operation of national parks, and the salaries of more than 2 million federal employees.
The US Congress building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Photo: AP
The new Republican bill would extend government funding through March, when Trump is back in the White House and Republicans control both houses of Congress. It would also provide more than $100 billion in disaster relief and suspend the debt ceiling until January 2027.
A two-year suspension of the debt limit could help the new Trump administration pass the sweeping tax cuts he has promised, while also setting the stage for the federal government’s $36 trillion debt to continue to grow.
Republicans have stripped out other provisions included in the original package, like pay raises for lawmakers and new regulations for pharmacy benefit managers.
Democrats have criticized the bill as a “front” for tax cuts that would largely benefit wealthy people like Musk while adding trillions of dollars to the country’s debt.
Some Republicans also objected, arguing that the bill would pave the way for more debt without cutting spending.
