The US government is on the verge of shutdown after Donald Trump scrapped the bipartisan funding bill

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The US government could shut down within days after Donald Trump appeared to scuttle a bipartisan funding bill’s chances of passing Congress.

The president-elect on Wednesday criticized an agreement reached between Republicans and Democrats in the House of Representatives to maintain funding for the federal government beyond Friday, urging his allies on Capitol Hill to reject the “foolish” and “inept” compromise.

Hours later, top Republicans dropped the bill and House Speaker Mike Johnson decided not to risk Trump’s wrath by scheduling a vote on the measure in the House.

Steve Scalise, another senior House Republican, said late Wednesday that the bill is dead. “There are still a lot of negotiations and discussions going on, but there is no new agreement,” he told reporters in Washington.

The dramatic collapse of the bipartisan deal just two days before Friday’s deadline followed Trump’s criticism on social media, where he said the “only way” to secure a deal was through bridge funding “WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIFTS attached to it.” an increase in debt.” Ceiling”.

He added: “Anything else is a betrayal of our country.”

The failure of the compromise means the government could run out of funds before the weekend and some federal programs could be halted. Some federal workers would be sent home and pay for federal employees, including those serving in the military, would be suspended.

The White House urged Republicans to “stop playing politics” or risk harming Americans and causing instability. “President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect (JD) Vance ordered Republicans to shut down the government. . . A deal is a deal. “Republicans should keep their word,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

The recent funding crisis caps a turbulent few years for Congress, which has been right-leaning republican have repeatedly threatened their own leadership in the House, including a revolt that unseated then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023.

Given the narrow Republican majority in the House of Representatives, Johnson will rely on Democrats to pass a so-called standing resolution to provide temporary funding for the federal government.

A stopgap bill would have kept the $6.75 trillion federal budget at current levels through March 14, if Republicans control Congress after winning last month’s general election. The money keeps a wide range of federal programs afloat, including defense, regulatory agencies, national parks and air traffic safety.

But Trump and other allied Republicans, including billionaire Elon Musk, criticized the measure as a “freebie” for Democrats.

Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance said in a statement that Republicans need to “get smart and get tough” and “when Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then call them out.” “Call your bluff.”

Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy – who has been tasked by Trump with cutting government spending when he returns to the White House next year – protested the bill on social media on Wednesday, threatening what Musk called “pig politicians.” could support him.

“Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in two years,” Musk said in a post on his social media platform X.

Musk also rejected the proposed pay raise for politicians in the bill.

Trump also demanded that any financing deal include an increase in the U.S. debt ceiling, a rule that governs how much money the federal government can borrow.

Any Republican who “brings the debt limit mess into the Trump administration instead of allowing it to happen in the Biden administration.” . should and will be a priority,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. Trump’s comments suggested he would support rival candidates in primaries against Republicans who opposed him.

“We’ve had some discussions about the debt limit as it relates to the (continuing resolution),” Scalise said Wednesday.