GOP Home leaders and Vice-President-elect JD Vance proceed to fulfill behind closed doorways in Speaker Mike Johnson’s workplace Thursday to craft a path ahead and attain a price range deal — hoping to each appease President-elect Donald Trump’s evolving calls for in addition to rank and file members on the suitable who’re historically towards any spending deal or debt restrict improve.
Throughout the aisle, Democrats preserve the most effective path ahead is the defunct deal they struck with Home Republicans that Trump and Elon Musk demolished on Wednesday.
Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries expressed disbelief that the bipartisan settlement had fallen aside — emphasizing that Republicans will personal the results, together with the impression of a possible authorities shutdown.
Home Minority Chief Rep. Hakeem Jeffries speaks to the press as he’s flanked by Rep. Katherine Clark and Rep. Pete Aguilar on Capitol Hill, Dec. 18, 2024, in Washington.
Kent Nishimura/Getty Pictures
“This reckless Republican-driven shutdown will be prevented if Home Republicans will merely do what is correct for the American individuals and stick to the bipartisan settlement that they themselves negotiated,” Jeffries mentioned at a information convention Thursday.
That deal known as for extending authorities spending at present ranges till March and added different provisions like reduction for catastrophe victims and farmers and a pay increase for members of Congress.
Issues modified Wednesday after Musk started a strain marketing campaign on X with a number of posts opposing the deal. Later that day Trump and Vance posted a press release calling on Congress to “cross a streamlined spending invoice,” with the president-elect echoing Musk’s threats of primarying any GOP member who did not comply.
Trump advised ABC Information’ Jonathan Karl Thursday morning that there will probably be a authorities shutdown until Congress eliminates the debt ceiling or extends the restrict on authorities borrowing earlier than he takes workplace.
“We’re not going to fall into the debt ceiling quicksand,” he mentioned. “There will not be something permitted until the debt ceiling is completed with.”
Below present regulation, the federal authorities would hit its borrowing restrict someday within the spring of 2025, through the first months of the second Trump presidency. Trump, nevertheless, mentioned he desires it taken care of now, whereas Joe Biden is president.
“Shutdowns solely inure to the one who’s president,” Trump mentioned.
With a number of different plans to avert a shutdown below Republican consideration, Home Majority Chief Steve Scalise advised members to anticipate votes associated to authorities funding Thursday, however the timing of any motion was unclear as discussions proceed.
Sen. John Thune talks to reporters in regards to the proposed price range persevering with decision that will keep away from a looming authorities shutdown on the U.S. Capitol, Dec. 18, 2024, in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures
Some Senate Republicans, together with John Kennedy and Mike Rounds, expressed displeasure with Johnson’s invoice and praised Trump for stepping in.
However Sen. Thom Tillis, whose residence state was devastated by Hurricane Helene, mentioned he’d do the whole lot in his energy to decelerate the passage of any authorities funding invoice that does not embrace catastrophe reduction.
Congress faces a deadline of Friday evening, when the present authorities funding extension expires, to cross a brand new one or non-essential businesses would shut down.
Home Republicans of each stripe have been seen rotating out and in of the speaker’s workplace on Thursday — together with Home Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, Majority Whip Tom Emmer, Texas Rep. Chip Roy and Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris of Maryland.
U.S. Home Majority Whip Tom Emmer speaks with members of the information media as he leaves the workplace of U.S. Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson, in Washington, Dec. 19, 2024.
Leah Millis/Reuters
Jeffries advised reporters that elevating the debt restrict as a part of the federal government funding invoice is “untimely at finest.”
“We’re going to proceed to keep up an open line of communication to see if we will resolve this difficulty on phrases which can be favorable to the on a regular basis People,” Jeffries mentioned when requested if he was chatting with Johnson.
Behind closed doorways throughout a caucus huddle Thursday morning, Jeffries delivered the identical message to Democrats: Republicans backed out of a bipartisan deal and now have to determine a strategy to get out.
“This type of chaos and dysfunction has real-world impacts on hard-working individuals,” Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., mentioned.
Rep. Invoice Keating, D-Mass., advised ABC Information that Jeffries quoted President John F. Kennedy to the caucus: “Allow us to by no means negotiate out of concern. However allow us to by no means concern to barter.”
“He mentioned, look, we stored all our doorways open throughout this negotiation. We made concessions. Most of us weren’t proud of the end result of this, however it’s important to do your fundamental job. He is saying that may proceed. We’re open to the whole lot, however we’re not open to the form of bullying ways that Elon Musk is doing,” Keating mentioned.
Rep. Andy Harris, chairman of the Home Freedom Caucus, joins a gaggle of conservative Republicans to discuss the interim spending invoice being crafted to keep away from a shutdown of federal businesses, on the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 18, 2024.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., quipped, “We had a deal. We negotiated a deal, after which Musk determined to vary the deal. Do I name him ‘President Musk?'”
Texas Rep. Greg Casar, the brand new chair of the progressive caucus was additionally essential of Musk.
“If Elon Musk is form of cosplaying co-president right here, I do not know why Trump would not simply hand him the Oval Workplace, or Speaker Johnson ought to possibly simply hand Elon Musk the gavel if they only need that billionaire to run the nation,” Casar mentioned.
Whereas many Democrats help eliminating the debt restrict in precept, members left their closed-door assembly against putting it now as a part of a spending deal, stressing it needs to be a separate matter.
ABC Information’ Emily Chang and Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
