Trump is against the funding bill, bringing the government closer to a shutdown

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump criticized a bipartisan government funding bill Wednesday afternoon, throwing the stopgap measure into chaos just as leaders of both parties were hoping to pass it.

The joint statement from Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance seriously jeopardizes the bill’s prospects in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where Trump wields significant influence.

The bill would have kept the government open until March 14. There will be a shutdown this Saturday at 12:01 a.m. without congressional action. There is currently no fallback plan.

“Republicans need to get smart and tough. “When Democrats threaten to shut down the government if we don’t give them everything they want, you’re calling their bluff,” Trump and Vance said. “It is (Senate Majority Leader Chuck) Schumer and (President Joe) Biden who are holding up aid to our farmers and disaster relief.”

In a shocking twist, Trump also demanded that the bill include raising the debt ceiling, something neither party had even considered. It’s expected to happen by the middle of next year, and Trump made clear he wanted it to happen under Biden’s watch.

“Raising the debt ceiling isn’t great, but we’d rather do it under Biden’s watch,” Trump and Vance said. “If Democrats don’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they will in June while we’re in office? Let’s have this debate now. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want.”

Trump’s statement said the solution was a “temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRATIC GIVEAWAYS, combined with a debt ceiling increase. Anything less is a betrayal of our country.”

The statement came after various conservatives — inside and outside of Congress — criticized the legislation, which Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., released on Tuesday.

“That’s a damn sandwich,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla. “I don’t know how else to say this. We are forced into this position.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., warned that Republicans would fear a government shutdown if they abandoned the deal.

“House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government,” Jeffries said wrote on X. “And they hurt the working-class Americans they claim to support. If you break the bipartisan agreement, you will bear the consequences that follow.”

Within 24 hours of the bill’s release, Elon Musk, Trump’s billionaire ally, criticized it in a flurry of posts to his over 200 million followers on

“Kill the Bill,” Musk wrote.

He praised and thanked several Republican lawmakers who said they would vote against the measure, adding: “One of the worst bills ever written.”

Some House Republicans were emboldened by Musk’s attack on the bill, which would keep the government open until March 14 and includes provisions to give lawmakers a pay raise, among many other policies negotiated by the two parties.

“I love it,” Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., said of the opposition. “And I love the fact that they’re paying attention, because I didn’t come here to continue this reckless funding process.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., also praised Musk.

“Elon published a pretty serious post there. But you know, this is the mood of the American people,” she said. “That’s why we won on November 5th. Everyone is tired of overspending.”

Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., chairman of the right-wing Freedom Caucus, said Wednesday: “The American people did not send their representatives to Washington to vote on a bill in less than 1,500 pages.” 24 hours, the 110th Spending billions of dollars will add $110 billion to the deficit, with no possibility of offering an amendment to perhaps pay that bill. The process is broken.”

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said a government shutdown would be “regrettable” because it “puts many people at risk,” especially those who need the disaster relief that comes with it.

She also asked whether Trump would be overwhelmed by Musk.

“You have to ask Donald Trump – whether Elon Musk makes the decisions,” Shaheen said on Wednesday.

Some Republicans blame Johnson for the mess.

“Johnson really screwed this up. He put forward a really bad bill,” said an aide to the Senate GOP leadership familiar with the discussions.

Asked if the bill was dead, the aide replied: “We’ll see… but it looks very bad.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.