House Democrats are pushing back against the latest version of a spending plan released by the speaker on Thursday Mike Johnson.
“The Musk-Johnson proposal is not serious, it is ridiculous. The extreme MAGA Republicans are driving us toward a government shutdown,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., suggested that Democratic leadership would push its members to vote “no” on the deal.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., complained that the last deal collapsed due to opposition from conservatives including DOGE leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
“Everyone agreed,” he said, “and then it was blown up by Elon Musk, who has apparently become the fourth branch of government. And that’s just an intolerable way of doing things.”
“Democrats are going to try to figure out how we can save the common good, as well as the debris that was just pushed away.”
THIS HAPPENS DURING A PARTIAL GOVERNMENT SHIFTER
“The Musk-Johnson proposal is not serious, it is ridiculous. The extreme MAGA Republicans are driving us toward a government shutdown,” said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. (Getty Images)
In the room where Democrats met after the bill’s text was released, cries of “Hell no” could be heard.
The latest continuing resolution (CR) would extend current federal funding levels for three months and also suspend the debt limit for two years, something President-elect Trump has called for.
This came after the original 1,500-page CR faced opposition from the right due to political and fiscal factors.
Members of the House of Representatives could vote on the new bill as early as Thursday evening.
It’s not immediately clear whether the new deal will pass – Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, who also led the opposition to the original bill, also criticized the new deal.
“More debt. More government. Credit card increase by $4 trillion, with no spending limits and cuts. HARD NO,” Roy wrote on X.
With $36 trillion in debt and a $1.8 trillion deficit in 2024, some conservatives are opposed to a CR that pushes the funding deadline to March and leaves spending entirely at 2024 levels.
Without the votes of conservative Republicans, Johnson will have to rely on Democrats to help push the spending bill through the House.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., complained that the last deal collapsed due to opposition from conservatives including 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 contents.
The deal also includes aid for farmers and about $110 billion in disaster relief funds for Americans affected by storms Helene and Milton.
It would also include certain health care provisions, minus reforms to the Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) system that some Republicans and Democrats pushed for but others vehemently opposed.
Trump said of the deal: “Speaker Mike Johnson and the House of Representatives have reached a very good deal for the American people. The newly agreed American Relief Act of 2024 will keep the government open, fund our Great Farmers and others, and provide assistance to those hit hard by the devastating hurricanes.”
“All Republicans and even Democrats should do what is best for our country and vote ‘YES’ on this bill TONIGHT!” he wrote.
Shortly after Fox News Digital’s report, House leaders released the legislative text of the bill. The length was approximately 116 pages, a far cry from the original legislation at 1,547 pages.
House Democrats are rejecting the latest version of a spending plan released Thursday by Speaker Mike Johnson.
This came after the Conservatives led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy torpedoed Speaker Mike Johnson’s original government funding plan on Wednesday, sparking fears of a partial government shutdown just before the holidays.
Republican hardliners were angry that what they saw as last-minute measures and political factors that had nothing to do with it were added to the bill.
Republicans in the House of Representatives began negotiations on a “clean” bill called a “Continuing Resolution” (CR). But those were also upended when Trump urged Republican lawmakers to combine a CR with debt limit measures – what was expected to be a contentious battle in the first half of next year.
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Musk and Ramaswamy They also added their voices to the fight, with Musk calling on any Republican who supported the deal to lose their seats in the House of Representatives.
In addition to averting a partial government shutdown until March 14, the bill also included a provision allowing the revitalization of RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C; permits for year-round sales of ethanol fuel; and the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009 — both measures not included in the latest deal.
