End of Year Funding/Disaster Relief Bill Rejected

I did predict there was going to be some drama….

Elon Musk went on a crusade against the funding extension/disaster relief bill, posting nearly nonstop on his social media platform X on Wednesday calling on lawmakers to kill it. Late this afternoon, President-elect Trump issued a written statement late this afternoon, which forced Speaker Johnson (R-LA) back to the drawing board to avoid a government shutdown at midnight on Friday.

Trump condemned the Democratic policy priorities in the bill but supports keeping certain measures Speaker Johnson supports, such as aid for farmers and natural disaster survivors. He has also requested that Republicans extend the suspension of the debt ceiling a limit on how much the U.S. government can borrow, which is set to expire early in his new term next year.

Speaker Johnson’s back up plan is not clear. According to The Washington Post, Speaker Johnson has heard Musk’s concerns and texted him that “any bill has to have Democrat votes” given the narrow GOP margins.

I am watching the floor show and will keep you updated on what comes next. Congress is operating on a very short timeline but they also can’t go home for the holidays until this legislation is approved, which is a strong incentive to find an acceptable compromise. However painful a compromise will be.