Will the US see another shutdown during the holidays?

Is the US government headed for yet another shutdown?

This is looking more and more likely after President-elect Donald Trump came out against the bipartisan bill to keep the US government going.

The development comes just days before the government is set to run out of money – dealing a blow to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

But what happened? Will the US government see another shutdown?

Let’s take a closer look:

What happened?

As per USA Today, the funding for the government is set to expire on Friday.

Congress is also set to take a holiday break

The 1,500 page bill was released on Tuesday night.

The bill keeps spending at current levels.

It sets aside $100 billion for disaster relief and another $10 billion in farm aid.

The bill also raises lawmakers’ pay and cracks down on hidden hotel fees.

It would keep the government going through March, as per Hindustan Times.

If the bill is not passed, only workers deemed essential would remain.

Thousands of federal workers will be temporarily furloughed – with their pay delayed – and public services cut down.

It would also possibly result in problems for the US air travel system due to reduced staffing.

Customs and border protection might also be impacted.

Why is this happening?

According to Voice of America, Trump and Vance have objected to what they call ‘Democratic giveaways’ in the bill.

“Republicans must get smart and tough,” Trump and Vice-President-elect JD Vance said in a statement. “If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then call their bluff.”

Trump also wants the debt ceiling raised – which only further complicates matters as many in his own party are against doing so.

Trump and Vance want only temporary spending and disaster relief passed.

“If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration?” they said in the statement.

Trump has also warned that Republicans who vote for the current legislative package could have trouble getting re-elected.

“Any Republican that would be so stupid as to do this should, and will, be Primaried,” Trump wrote on social media.

Will US see another shutdown?

It is looking likely.

The problem for the Republicans is that their unified control of government does not begin until next month.

Republicans right now have a slim majority in the House, while the Democrats have both the presidency and the US senate.

Things will only change once Trump takes office on January 20.

Complicating matters it the fact that billionaire Elon Musk , an ally of Trump, has come out against the bill.

“This should not pass,” Musk posted on X on Wednesday.

The Tesla chief executive and world’s richest person, who spent more than $250 million to help Trump get elected, has been tasked by Trump to prune the federal budget.

House Republicans who helped negotiate the bill said Musk’s opposition made things more difficult.

“There’s never an easy fix to anything around here,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole.

Musk has emerged as one of the biggest spenders in US politics this year, and his threat could resonate with some Republicans. It likely carries less weight with Democrats who represent solidly liberal areas, or senators from both parties who will not be up for re-election for another six years.

Musk tried and failed in November to influence the outcome of the Senate Republicans’ leadership contest.

Musk, who is heading the new Department of Government Efficiency and leading the charge against it, warned: “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!”

House Republicans huddled in the office of Speaker Mike Johnson late on Wednesday to determine their next move. Even before Trump and Musk weighed in, some on the party’s right flank had come out against the bill on the grounds that it spent too much money and included too many unrelated provisions.

“The Speaker tried to get the votes and the necessary votes weren’t there. And then we saw what happened on social media, and a lot of folks have, you know, had second thoughts. And so now we got to recalibrate,” Representative Kevin Hern told reporters outside Johnson’s office.

Republican Representative Mike Rogers said changes to the debt ceiling should not be included in the current negotiations.

“It’s complicated enough without that,” he told reporters.

The outcome comes as no surprise for Johnson, who like other Republican House speakers before him, has been unable to convince his majority to go along with the routine needs of federal government operations, which they would prefer to slash.

It all shows just how hard it will be for Republicans next year, as they seize control of the House, Senate and White House, to unify and lead the country. And it underscores how much Johnson and the Republican leaders must depend on Trump ’s blessing to see any legislative package over the finish line.

“What does President Trump want Republicans to do: vote for the CR or shut down government? Absent direction, confusion reigns,” said retiring senator Mitt Romney, in a post on X.

The stopgap measure is needed because Congress has failed to pass regular spending legislation for the fiscal year that began on October 1. It does not cover benefit programs like Social Security, which continue automatically.

In the meantime, a shutdown could affect everything from air travel to law enforcement days before the December 25 Christmas holiday.

This will be the first government shutdown since the one in December 2018 – when Trump was president.

The 2018 shutdown, which lasted 34 days, was the longest in US history.

It ended as nearly all government shutdowns do – with the Democrats coming out on top.

In the meantime, around 800,000 federal employees worked without pay, as per USA Today.

Democrats, who negotiated the final product with Johnson and Senate Republican leadership, will be expected to provide enough support to help Johnson ensure passage, as is often the case on big bills. Federal government funding runs out at midnight on Friday.

“The sooner Congress acts, the better,” Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer said.

They have slammed Trump and the Republicans.

“House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government. And hurt the working-class Americans they claim to support. You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on social media.

The US government has spent more money than it has taken in for more than 20 years, as Democrats have expanded health programs and Republicans have cut taxes, and an aging population is projected to push up the cost of retirement and health programs in the years to come.

Steadily mounting debt — currently $36 trillion — will force lawmakers to raise the debt ceiling at some point, either now or when borrowing authority runs out next year. Failure to act could shock bond markets with potentially severe economic consequences.

With inputs from agencies