A temporary funding bill backed by President-elect Donald Trump failed in the House of Representatives on Thursday, just over 24 hours before a potential government shutdown, strikingly similar to Ghana where the Finance Minister must show up in parliament on Friday December 20, to present a mini budget or the country faces shut down. The US proposal, which included a provision to raise or suspend the federal debt ceiling, was rejected in a 235-174 vote. More than 30 Republicans joined most Democrats in opposing the bill, which also sought to suspend the debt ceiling for two years.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries criticized the plan, calling it “laughable,” while White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre described it as a “giveaway for billionaires.” The Trump-endorsed bill aimed to extend the government funding deadline to March 14, 2025, but was met with resistance, especially over its inclusion of debt ceiling measures.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders had spent hours trying to align their party with the Trump-approved plan, facing pressure from Trump allies, including Elon Musk. Musk, a key Trump adviser, had criticized an earlier bipartisan deal and called for the defeat of any lawmakers supporting it.
Despite efforts to find a compromise, the bill’s provision for disaster aid and pay raises for lawmakers further fueled opposition. The rejection of the proposal has brought the U.S. government closer to a shutdown, with funding set to lapse by Friday night without a new plan.
