Mike Johnson: “We won’t shut down the government”
“We will not shut down the government,” House Speaker Mike Johnson vowed to reporters after the House Republican meeting today, ahead of a late-night deadline to avoid a government shutdown.
Mr. Johnson said:
We have a unified Republican convention. There was unanimous agreement in the room that we need to move forward. I won’t telegraph those specific details yet, but we’re hopeful moving forward. There is no government shutdown. ”
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Updated at 15.03 ET
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Well, friends, we made it through another hectic Friday at the Capitol as the House of Representatives struggled to pass a spending bill. The bill now heads to the Senate and must pass by a deadline of midnight ET.
Below is a summary of how it all unfolded, as well as some other information about the day’s politics.
The House passed the spending bill hours before the government shutdown deadline. The continuing resolution was passed with 366 votes in favor and 34 votes against.
House Republicans have proposed a government funding bill that would require a two-thirds majority to pass, but would not include raising the debt ceiling, Punchbowl News reported. This means the bill would need at least a Democratic vote to advance to the Senate.
Punchbowl News reports that J.D. Vance and Russ Vought, author of “Project 2025,” whom Donald Trump has nominated to head the powerful White House office, joined the right-wing Freedom Caucus this morning. He was scheduled to meet with members of Congress.
President Donald Trump has warned the European Union that unless member countries buy more U.S. oil and gas, trade tariffs will be imposed on exports to the United States.
President Donald Trump said if a government shutdown occurs, “let’s start now.” In a post on his social media platform Truth Social early Friday morning, President Trump said, “Congress needs to eliminate the ridiculous debt ceiling, or perhaps extend it until 2029. Without it, we will never make a deal.” You shouldn’t. Remember, the pressure is on no matter who is president.”
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Updated on 19.22 ET
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was “in constant communication” with Donald Trump as the House worked to vote on the spending bill. At a press conference after the vote, Prime Minister Johnson said that President Trump was also “pleased with the result.”
He also emphasized that the vote is a necessary step to get needed aid to Americans, especially after a devastating hurricane season, telling reporters:
This was a necessary step to bridge the gap that brings us to the moment that will leave our mark on final spending decisions in 2025. We also took care of Americans who desperately need and deserve help with this bill…We’re excited about what’s next. This result. I appreciate everyone coming together to do the right thing. Now that we’ve completed this as our last assignment of the year, we’re ready for a big and important new start in January.
.
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Updated at 19.08 ET
The breakdown of the voting results on the House appropriations bill is as follows.
196 Democrats voted to pass the bill.
170 Republicans voted to pass the bill.
34 Republicans reject the bill
The debt ceiling was not raised, despite President Donald Trump’s demands for an increase. The bill now heads to the Senate, where passage of the spending bill must occur by midnight.
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Updated on 18.16 ET
The House passed a spending bill, averting a government shutdown. The continuing resolution was passed with 366 votes in favor and 34 votes against.
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While awaiting the results of the House vote, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced that Joe Biden supports the proposed bill. In a statement released Friday, Jean-Pierre said:
A government shutdown for the holidays would send military personnel and air traffic controllers to work without pay, shut down essential government services for hardworking Americans, and create economic chaos.
Following President-elect Trump’s orders, Republicans yesterday withdrew from the bipartisan agreement and threatened to shut down the government at the eleventh hour to pave the way for tax cuts for billionaires. This is not possible with this revised law.
This doesn’t include everything we asked for, but it does include the president’s requested disaster relief for communities recovering from the storm, and an acceleration to tax cuts for billionaires. routes and ensure the government can continue to operate at full capacity. President Biden will advance this bill to ensure the government continues to provide critical services to hard-working Americans, from issuing Social Security checks to processing benefits for veterans, while eliminating devastating Supports ensuring assistance to communities affected by hurricanes.
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Updated at 5:56 PM ET
A vote on a new House continuing resolution is underway. If passed, the government would avoid a shutdown.
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Updated at 17:51 ET
Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy announced he would vote against a recently introduced bill to keep the government funded.
In a post about X, Roy said:
I have to vote against this third “funding” CR, even though progress has been made on future cuts/debt ceilings. $110 billion in unpaid bills, food stamp extensions with no reform, gimmicks to pay health promoters, breaking the 72-hour rule…more of the same.
The House is expected to vote on the continuing resolution (CR) within minutes, according to a schedule released by Democratic Rep. Katherine Clark.
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Updated at 5:36 pm ET
Here’s the tentative schedule for today’s vote on the continuing resolution, which funds the government until the appropriations bill is fully passed, according to Democratic Party Leader Katherine Clark: Based on this schedule, you should arrive within 45 minutes.
This schedule is Eastern Standard Time.
At approximately 4:45 p.m., the House will reconvene to debate HR__ (American Rescue Act of 2025).
The vote will take place in the House of Commons between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m.
The next vote is expected to be around 5-5:30 p.m., when CR passes.
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Updated at 16:55 ET
A new government spending bill has been announced. Officials plan to vote within the next hour, according to Punch Bowl News’ Jake Sherman. The 118-page bill is a continuing resolution (CR) that allows the government to commit funds before the full amount is spent.
You can read the full text here.
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Updated at 16:49 ET
Mitch McConnell warns of government shutdown in final speech as Senate Republican leader
Mitch McConnell is in his final days as the top Republican in the Senate, warning of the failure to fund the government in his final floor speech as minority leader.
“I have told my colleagues and members of the House many times how harmful it is to shut down the government and how foolish it is to gamble that our side will not be held accountable. I don’t want to count how many times we’ve been reminded of that. Recent history doesn’t leave much room for interpretation. There’s a political price to pay when you try to use normal government functions as a bargaining chip.” said.
John Thune of South Dakota will take over the Senate Republican leadership next year, giving Republicans a majority in the chamber. McConnell, 82, plans to continue representing Kentucky until 2026, but has not said whether he will seek another six-year term in the Senate.
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Updated at 15:56 ET
House Republicans intend to propose a government funding bill that would require a two-thirds majority to pass and would not include raising the debt ceiling, Punchbowl News reported.
That means the bill would need at least a Democratic vote to advance to the Senate.
Republicans have not released the language of the funding bill, nor have they said how it would handle disaster relief and aid to farmers, which are priorities for many lawmakers.
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Updated at 3:45 p.m. ET
Travel industry warns of ‘serious economic costs’ in case of government shutdown during holidays
As millions of Americans hit the roads and head to airports ahead of Christmas, Congress is toying with a federal government shutdown and the U.S. Travel Association says funding shortfalls could significantly impact the holiday season. It warns that there is.
“Americans will not tolerate an extended government shutdown that threatens to disrupt holiday travel,” Jeff Freeman, the trade group’s president and CEO, said in a statement. Ta.
“It’s hard to see how anyone in Congress can win if they force (Transportation Security Administration) agents, air traffic controllers, and other essential employees to work without pay during the busiest travel season of the year.”
The association warned that the U.S. economy could suffer “severe economic costs” of $1 billion per week if government operations are disrupted.
He also warned of the economic impact if Congress fails to approve relief funding for parts of the country recently hit by wildfires and hurricanes.
Studies show that delaying disaster relief funding until 2025 could push recovery efforts into 2026 or beyond. Suffering Americans deserve better recognition from their elected officials. It is irrational for Congress to go home for the holidays and leave communities devastated by disasters out in the cold.
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Updated on 15.24 ET
Mr Johnson says it is ‘very likely’ a vote on government funding deal will be held in the afternoon
“It’s very likely,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters when asked if the House would vote on a bill to keep the government open this afternoon.
Mr. Johnson gave very brief comments to reporters as he walked between meetings, and also explained the contents of the bill that Republicans are negotiating.
We will ensure that farmers in need, disaster victims across the country, and our military, essential services, and everyone who relies on the federal government for paychecks are paid during the holidays. Fulfill your obligations to ensure that things are done.
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Updated on 15.04 ET
Mike Johnson: “We won’t shut down the government”
“We will not shut down the government,” House Speaker Mike Johnson vowed to reporters after the House Republican meeting today, ahead of a late-night deadline to avoid a government shutdown.
Mr. Johnson said:
We have a unified Republican convention. There was unanimous agreement in the room that we need to move forward. I won’t telegraph those specific details yet, but we’re hopeful moving forward. There is no government shutdown. ”
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Updated at 15.03 ET
Democratic Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost of Florida criticized Republicans’ reported plan to cut spending next year, saying:
There is no way to reduce $2.5 trillion in spending without cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
He further added:
My parents’ Social Security checks should not be cut because of President Elon Musk’s massive billionaire tax cuts.
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Updated at 15.05 ET
Indiana Sen. Jim Banks spoke to reporters after attending a House meeting, according to Politico’s Jordain Carney.
“I think they have a long way to go before they decide anything,” Banks said, adding that he looks forward to serving in the Senate.
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Updated on 14.29 ET