President-elect Donald Trump publicly opposed the temporary budget bill (CR) agreed upon by the bipartisan congressional leadership to avoid a government 'shutdown' crisis. He argued that the bill should include not only streamlined spending but also an increase in the national debt ceiling. Earlier, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and soon to head the newly established Government Efficiency Department in the next administration, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican presidential primary candidate, also criticized the bipartisan budget agreement as "excessive spending and populist politics."
On the 18th (local time), Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance issued a joint statement saying, "The Republican Party must be smart and strong," and added, "If the Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless they get everything they want, expose their bluff."
They stated, "We must pass a streamlined spending bill that does not give Chuck Schumer (Democratic Senate Majority Leader) and the Democrats everything they want," and "The only way to do this is a temporary budget bill that excludes favors to the Democrats and combines an increase in the debt ceiling." By publicly expressing opposition, Trump, who cannot yet exercise a veto, demonstrated his influence over the political sphere. He also targeted House Speaker Mike Johnson, who agreed with the Democrats on the temporary budget bill, saying, "Everything else is a betrayal of our country."
The day before, the Democratic and Republican leadership agreed on a temporary budget bill necessary to operate the government until March 14 of next year. Typically, if Congress fails to pass the budget bill required for the next fiscal year's government operations on time, it drafts a temporary budget bill lasting several months to buy negotiation time. However, with the existing temporary budget bill set to expire on the 20th, there were concerns about a possible shutdown before the Trump administration takes office in January next year.
The 1,547-page temporary budget bill exceeded the previous year's size by adding $100 billion for disaster relief and $10 billion for farmer support. It also included provisions related to healthcare, congressional salary increases, trade with Haiti, and potential threats from drones. When opposition arose among the Republican hardliners advocating fiscal austerity, House Speaker Johnson, a Republican, explained that the budget had to be expanded due to uncontrollable disasters such as hurricanes that swept through the southeastern United States. He also emphasized that this temporary budget bill is not a so-called 'Christmas tree bill' loaded with unrelated provisions ahead of the end of the congressional session.
Before Trump, CEO Musk also publicly opposed the temporary budget bill supported by Speaker Johnson that morning. As the person who will lead government downsizing and budget cuts in the next administration, he posted on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating, "This bill must not pass." He even threatened that lawmakers who vote in favor of the bill would not be able to run for office next time. Former candidate Ramaswamy also argued, "This budget bill is full of excessive spending, special interest favors, and populist politics," and said, "If Congress seriously wants to improve government efficiency, they must vote against it."
Following opposition from hardliners within the party and with Trump publicly expressing disapproval ahead of his inauguration in January, the passage of this temporary budget bill has become even more uncertain. ABC News reported, "Trump's allies are pleased with his intervention," but also noted, "Meanwhile, lawmakers are bewildered at how such an important bipartisan agreement could collapse so quickly just days before the deadline."
House Speaker Johnson's position has become precarious just weeks before the re-election vote for the speakership. The political news outlet Politico reported that Speaker Johnson is considering a Plan B. The Hill analyzed that Johnson has not yet set a vote schedule for the temporary budget bill and stated, "If the agreement is withdrawn, it is unclear whether an alternative that can pass the House will emerge."
Democratic House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement, "House Republicans have been instructed (by President-elect Trump) to shut down the government," and added, "They are harming the American working class they claim to support. If they break the bipartisan agreement, the consequences and responsibility will rest entirely on them."
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