 "House Republicans eye funding govt till March, raising debt limit after Trump inaugurated: Report")
House Republican leaders, in a closed-door conference meeting on Friday, proposed a plan to extend government funding until March and raise the debt ceiling after Donald Trump’s inauguration and the GOP regains control of Congress, according to The Guardian report, citing Punchbowl News .
It remains uncertain whether this funding proposal can be implemented before midnight, when a government shutdown is set to begin, or if it will gain Trump’s approval.
Trump has demanded an increase in the debt ceiling while Joe Biden is still president.
According to the report, citing Punchbowl, House Republicans have put forward two options for funding the government over the next three months: one that could pass today but would require Democratic votes and excludes aid for farmers and disaster relief, or a second bill that includes both the aid and the spending but can only be voted on tomorrow under House rules.
On the debt ceiling, Republican leaders have reportedly agreed to increase it by $1.5 trillion in the first major piece of legislation Trump is expected to sign, alongside $2.5 trillion in spending cuts. These cuts would primarily target mandatory government spending, which includes Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, and programs designed to combat poverty and assist with food security, added the report.
Meanwhile, the US government has begun warning its employees that a shutdown could happen, The Guardian quoted Karine Jean-Pierre as saying.
“We believe that there’s still time for Congress to prevent a partial shutdown. We believe that, but in the interest of prudent planning, we want to be prudent here, agencies did start notifying their employees for of their potential furlough today at noon,” the White House press secretary was quoted as saying.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIf the government shuts down, Jean-Pierre warned that it could hamper preparations to transition to the second Trump administration.
“If there is a shutdown, and I don’t want to get too much into hypotheticals, but this is the reality, transition activities will be restricted,” Jean-Pierre was quoted as saying.
“We’re doing everything to ensure a smooth transition, but the choice to allow a transition to move forward is with in the hands of Republicans in Congress,” she added.
Jean-Pierre made clear the White House views Trump and Elon Musk as responsible for the breakdown in the spending deal that has brought the government to the brink of a shutdown.
“Congressional Republicans did what they did because of what the president-elect said, and what Elon Musk said, that’s the reality," Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Hours before the start of a federal government shutdown, Trump doubled-down Friday on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal — and if not, let the closures “start now.”
He issued his latest demand as Speaker Johnson arrived early at the Capitol, instantly holing up with Vice President-elect JD Vance and some of the most conservative Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus who helped sink Trump’s bill in a spectacular Thursday evening flop.
“If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now,” Trump posted on social media.
Trump does not fear government shutdowns the way Johnson and the lawmakers see federal closures as political losers that harm the livelihoods of Americans. The incoming Trump administration vows to slash the federal budget and fire thousands of employees. Trump himself sparked the longest government shutdown in history in his first term at the White House.
On Thursday, the House rejected Trump’s new plan to fund operations and suspend the debt ceiling, as Democrats and dozens of Republicans refused to accommodate his sudden demands.
With inputs from agencies
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