Elon Musk joined a wave of right-wing fury against a bill to keep the government open. Now, the president-elect says he wants big changes, too, before this weekend’s deadline.
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump excoriated a bipartisan government funding billWednesday afternoon, throwing the stopgap measure into chaos just as leaders of both parties were hoping to pass it.
The joint statement between Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance gravely jeopardizes the bill’s prospects in the Republican-controlled House, where Trump wields significant influence.
The bill would have kept the government open until March 14. A shutdown will occur this Saturday at 12:01 a.m. without action from Congress. There is currently no fallback plan.
“Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH. If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL 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 legislation include a debt ceiling increase, which neither party had even been considering. It’s expected to come up in the middle of next year, and Trump made clear he wanted it to happen on Biden’s watch.
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